Missing an Angel
by GallifreyXFalling
Summary: The boys meet a new angel, Seraphiel, who brings them messages from an old friend and some much-needed comfort.
1. Chapter 1

Although Dean missed the comfort of sleeping in an actual bed most nights when they were in a town for a job, he had to admit keeping everything in the car most of the time and being able to bail at a moment's notice was a real advantage lately. They were currently speeding down a back road in Colorado, having just evaded the authorities for the millionth time. Sam was sitting in the passenger seat, holding a gauze pad to a fresh cut across his left cheek. "You don't think they saw us, do you? I mean…we're supposed to be dead."

"I'm about 75% sure they didn't see our faces."

"Well, that's more than usual."

Getting a little more comfortable with the distance between them and the last town, he started to slow down, getting just at the speed limit so that Sam could Doctor himself up without too much trouble. He took his eyes off the road for a second to adjust the radio, but had to look up again immediately and slam on the brakes as Sam yelled "Dean, stop!"

He was able to get the car to stop just inches from what they had nearly hit. A young woman had suddenly appeared in the middle of the twilit road. She had her hand pressed hard to a section of her abdomen and leaned forward to support herself on the hood of the sedan they had stolen last week. She was looking through the windshield at them both. Sam jumped out of the car as soon as he saw the blood pooling on her shirt. Dean leaned to the side to yell at him to stop, but Sam didn't listen.

Sure, she appeared to be just a woman in distress, but with their lives it was never that simple. Sam got into the back with her, and in the rearview mirror Dean saw her remove her hand to reveal an ugly stab wound, which she immediately covered again to slow the bleeding. She angled her eyes up and met his in the mirror. "Hello Dean."

Sam looked between them quickly as he rummaged in the first aid bag in the back seat. "Do you two know each other?" From the look on Dean's face he assumed not.

"Not yet," the woman said, causing Dean to turn around and point his gun at her. "Who are you and how do you know my name?"

She just smiled, "We can talk about that later. Right now you need to drive." She looked at Sam, who had taken a bottle of Jack out of the bag. "That's not going to do me any good. I assume you have some holy water?" She was starting to sound a little loopy, most likely from the blood loss. Sam nodded, "Good, I need you to pour it into my wound, and then compress it with a gauze pad."

"That's not going to stop the bleeding," He said, even as he was following her instructions. Dean had started driving again, as well. Sam thought it was strange he wasn't protesting. "Just do it," she said, removing her hand to quickly pull up her shirt. Sam poured the Holy Water in the wound. Dean was keeping an eye on them, and was a little less concerned when he saw that it didn't burn her or anything. Sam pressed a thick gauze pad to the bleeding hole in her abdomen, hard. The woman winced.

"Okay, that's good. Stings a little, but still good." She looked back up into the mirror. "I need you both to do something now."

Dean gritted his teeth but Sam just said, "What?"

She turned her face back to Sam. "I need you to find a song, something that you have a good association with, and I need you to sing to me. It's the only way I'll be able to get enough strength to heal myself."

Sam's brow furrowed, "How is singing going to he-"

But Dean had already started singing under his breath. Once Sam realized what it was he was actually singing he joined in. The woman leaned back against the door, looking considerably more relaxed. Sam noticed that blood had stopped trickling down. She looked down at her hand and then cautiously removed it, and sure enough the wound was all but gone. There was still a slight red indent where it had been.

She looked up, glancing between them. "Thank you. You just saved my life." She sat up, using the gauze pad to wipe up some of the blood. She looked at her shirt and pouted. "Great, now this is ruined. I really liked this shirt." She looked around and found a knife, cutting into the shirt just below the bust the tearing off the blood-soaked part. "I'm still pretty weak, so I apologize if I'm a bit useless. I'm not usually like this. Just give me a minute before you start grilling me, boys, I feel like I'm going to be sick."

Sam packed the first aid materials away. "Can we at least get your name?"

The woman laughed, "Not my real one. You can just call me Sera. I'd give up my real name but if it's spoken out loud the guys who did this might be able to find me, and that won't be good for anyone." She looked at Sam. "You can get back in the front seat now; I won't be requiring care any longer." Sam was back in his place before he even realized he had moved.

"You don't know how great it is that I stumbled on you guys. I've been trying to find you for weeks but it's been a complete bitch. I've been trying to follow hunting patterns but that just led me to other hunters. I couldn't track you down. I'm actually impressed. You should take that as a compliment, because it's really hard to impress me."

"Why were you looking for us, and why am I doing whatever you say?"

"I did think it was a little strange you didn't fight her harder," Sam interjected.

"I was looking for you because I needed to give you a message, and I'm sorry if I'm making you do something you wouldn't. I don't mean to, it just comes with the job."

Dean finally got back to a main road, and soon they were on a highway. "What job?"

"I'm uh…sort of…it's complicated. Let's just say I'm used to being in command."

Dean sighed, but kept his eyes on the road and kept driving. Sam checked his cut, which had healed dramatically in the short amount of time, Sam put it down to whatever it was that was in their back seat right now. He looked back at Sera. "What's the message?"

Sera let out a breath like she was preparing herself, choosing the right words. "It's from Castiel."

Dean turned around and nearly hit the median, "What?"

"Dean!" Sam yelled and he looked forward and straightened out the car again. Dean shook his head, "No, Cas is dead, otherwise he would have let us know by now."

"Well, he is and he isn't. Do you honestly think that after bringing him back so many times God would just let him liquefy into Leviathan goo?" There was a moment of strained silence. "No, God loves Castiel, but he was a pretty naughty kid and he has to face the consequences. Let's just say he's…in time out."

"Okay, fine, I'll accept for argument's sake that he's still somewhere. I don't know about that whole God thing but whatever. What's the message?"

"He wanted me to tell you that he is working his way back to you, but it's going to take a while, long enough that he wouldn't be able to wait to just surprise you by showing up whenever he could come back. He seemed to think it was an important detail that you would want to know."

Dean looked relieved. In fact it seemed he was trying very hard not to smile. Sam looked between them, "That…that's great. Is that it?"

"Not entirely. There's personal messages for each of you, plus some things he didn't really want me to tell you, but I already know I'm going to tell you anyway. But I can't tell each of you what he wanted me to until I'm sure we're completely alone."

"Sounds like something Cas would do. Who attacked you?"

"Some other angels. Some of them are still pretty sore about that whole Purgatory thing, and how he pretty much massacred half of Heaven. They don't want you to know he's still alive. They're scared to give you that kind of hope." She started running her fingers through her dark hair, trying to smooth out her tangles.

"What does it matter if we know or not? It's not like we can do anything. Besides, Cas didn't exactly leave us on the best terms."

"Okay, one, you're the damn Winchesters. There's no telling what you're capable of. Two, don't give me that crap. You still have a great amount of affection for him despite what he did, because deep down you know he was trying to do what was right, and he was trying to save you and your brother from going through the Apocalypse all over again. What did you do with his trench coat, by the way?"

Sam looked at Dean with a questioning expression, and Dean glanced over, trying not to look too guilty. He cleared his throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"So you're telling me you didn't fish it out of the water and it's not in your trunk right now?"

Dean looked over at Sam, who was now looking bemused. "What?" Dean said, and Sam smiled. "Really, Dean?"

"That's not even the best part. When you guys aren't sleeping in the same room he uses it as a pillow."

"Shut up! That's not true."

"No need to get defensive, Dean, we're all friends here. No judging."

"We're not friends."

"Not yet, but we will be."

"What makes you so sure?"

"My brother told me so, and so it must be true."

Sam gave up trying to stare the truth out of Dean and looked back at Sera. "Who's your brother?"

"Well, I have thousands but the one in particular I am speaking of is known to humans as Metatron."

Sam's expression was one of disbelief, and Dean's was one of absolute ignorance. He had no idea who she was talking about.

Sam started rubbing his eyes. "Wait…The Metatron? The Scribe of Heaven?"

Sera nodded. Dean still looked confused. Sam explained. "Metatron was one of the first angels. He's the Scribe of Heaven, transcribing the entire history of not only Heaven and Hell but anything on Earth that is relevant to the Supernatural."

"Which, obviously, includes you two. Your entire life story, including this conversation, was written down on Metatron's scrolls ages ago. That's how I know that we're going to be friends; I already know what's going to happen."

Sam looked at her with sudden understanding. "I thought that the other angels weren't allowed to see them to prevent them trying to change the future?"

"They aren't. Only God, Metatron, and his Guardian are allowed to see them."

"Sera…are you?" Sam looked into her eyes and when she knew he finally knew who she was she just smiled and nodded.

Dean looked at Sam, becoming worried by the expression on his face. "What? Who is she?"

Sam was too distracted to answer. "But if you're…who I think you are, what are you doing on Earth?"

"I'm here because God and Metatron are here on Earth. I go where they go."

Suddenly Dean pulled over onto the shoulder, turning around to look at Sera, who had to back away to prevent him head butting her.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Castiel, or God, or this…Megatron guy."

"Metatron," Sam volunteered.

"Nerd." Dean responded.

Sera sighed. "If I could tell you, I would, but I can't. I physically can't. I can't give away any hints, I can't write it down. You aren't supposed to know where they are. I wish I could help more because I like you guys. I really do, you're both absolutely amazing. When it is finally time for you guys to you know…move on…we should party. But right now I can only tell you Castiel's message and a few other odds and ends. But then I have to get back to my post. Soon as I'm strong enough, anyway. My batteries are pretty dead. Luckily they're rechargeable."

Sam looked forward again, but he looked slightly confused. Sera saw his expression in the mirror. "What's the matter, Sam?"

"It's just…you really don't speak like the angels we're used to."

"Well, I've been on Earth for a very, very long time. You're more likely to be confused by my cultural references than the other way around. Also, I'm not your average angel." Sera yawned. "What do you say we get to the nearest safe house you guys use or a cheap motel I can check us into and then I can make us some dinner and we can talk. I bet you guys haven't had real food in forever."

"You cook?"

"Not only that, I eat. A lot. I have to pretend to be human most of the time and once you get into a habit it's hard to break."

They rode along without speaking for what seemed like a long time, Dean singing along with whatever was on the radio, Sera keeping her eyes on the back of his head. Sam was burning with questions he already knew he wouldn't get answers to. He made a mental note to look her up when he got a chance.

When they got to the next town Dean pulled into the parking lot of the nearest motel. Sera was the one to check them in, and they were sure to never let their faces be seen on camera. Once inside the motel room, Dean finally took a minute to look her over. Besides the torn dark green shirt, she was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and some rather worn-out sneakers. She had hair that was so dark brown it was almost black and eyes to match. She was definitely attractive, but rather young. He kept his eyes on her from the bed he had claimed as she tried to wash the dried blood off of her abdomen and out of her jeans in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Sam had gone off to scrounge up some food. Sera gave him a list before he left, but Dean hadn't gotten a look at it. She suddenly stopped what she was doing and glanced over at him. "Are you just going to sit there staring at me all night?"

"Maybe," Dean said, which made her give a bemused smile. "You know, I've been following your exploits for longer than you've been alive but it doesn't really compare to the real thing. You have no idea how long I've been looking forward to actually meeting you guys."

She started drying off the section of denim she had been scrubbing at. "So, do you want your message from Cas now or after you eat yourself into submission?"

She stepped out of the bathroom, flicking off the light as she went and standing in front of him, waiting for him to answer.

"Now, I guess. No use delaying the inevitable."

"You make it sound so bad."

"Isn't it?"

"I don't think so. He wanted me to tell you he's sorry, that you were right. He should have found another way. He should have consulted you when he had the chance, and that he misses you and wishes he could help. The extra that he didn't tell me to say was that he's still watching over you, and he loves you."

Dean squirmed, and Sera rolled her eyes. "Stop it. Everyone in Heaven and Earth and a few people in Hell know that you love him too. There's nothing weird about it. Honestly, considering everything, the relationship between the two of you is the only thing that makes sense to me."

"We're not in a relationship."

"I'm surprised at you, Dean. I didn't think your ideas of love and relationships would be so limited. Then again, maybe you're this jumpy and defensive because your own emotions are too damn complex to understand." She walked over and sat down next to him on the bed.

"I'm not implying that you guys are like, boyfriends or anything, although that would be kind of hot. If that's what you're worried about."

Dean was refusing to make eye contact with her. Sera sighed, crossing her legs and arms. "If there's anything you'd like to say to him, he can hear you. Anytime. I think being able to watch and listen in on you guys is the only thing keeping him going. He's going through some pretty hellacious punishment."

Dean lifted his head. "Is he going to come back in the same vessel? His old one, Jimmy…I mean I know he's been restored before but after what happened…"

"Don't worry about that. If he does or doesn't he'll still be him. Or her, maybe. You never really know." At that moment Sam walked in, carrying two grocery bags. He paused as he saw them sitting together, Dean all pensive and Sera smiling a little too brightly. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Sera said. Dean looked up and shook his head. She stood up and took the bags from him. "You go do that research you're planning to do on me, I'll make us some dinner."

About ten minutes later, Sam found what he was looking for. He brought the laptop over to Dean, who was channel surfing from his bed. There wasn't a lot of information on Seraphiel, but just her titles were incredibly impressive. It made sense no one knew much about her, because her position required a great amount of discretion. Dean looked from the web page to the young woman in the little kitchen space, and couldn't believe such a powerful being, an angel that was herself only two steps from God, was making him dinner.

He looked at Sam who looked exceedingly curious. "What?"

"Did she tell you Castiel's message?"

"Yep."

"Willing to share?"

"Not on your life."

Sam huffed, then looked at Sera. "Wonder what mine is."

She called from the kitchen. "You'll find out soon enough, Sammy." Dean was surprised that Sam didn't correct her. He never let anyone but Dean call him that. He looked as if he wanted to argue, but couldn't get the words out and had just given up.

When Sera was finished cooking she served up steak with garlic mashed potatoes and mushrooms and onions, as well as a side salad to feed Sam's penchant for vegetables. Dean just stared at it at first. They had been living on fast food for most of their lives. He hadn't had a real dinner since he was living with Lisa and Ben.

He realized Sera was holding her hand out, and that Sam had already taken her other one. He reluctantly placed his hand in hers and she smiled and then bowed her head. "Lord bless this food for the nourishment of our bodies, Amen."

"Amen," Dean and Sam said simultaneously, retracting their hands from Sera's grasp. Dean was incredibly uncomfortable, he wasn't exactly the praying type. After reading her short, rather vague bio he knew why he wasn't fighting her, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He started eating while Sera and Sam picked up some conversation. Sam was curious about her, and rightly so. They didn't have much information to go on and she was more than happy to answer any of their questions. Excepting, of course, the ones that really mattered.

Suddenly, a timer went off in the middle of the meal. Sera shot up and went over to the oven. "What's that?" Dean asked, a mouth full of half-masticated meat. She looked over her shoulder as she opened the door. "What do you think?"

She pulled a pie out of the oven and set it on the counter. She sat back down at her place and started eating again, pausing when she realized that Dean was staring at her again. "What?" She asked laughingly.

"If you weren't an angel, I'd marry you."

"Just because I made you dinner and pie?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Sera chuckled, "Not usually."

Sam looked up from his food, using the break in silence to say some things he had been mulling over for a while. "Sera?"

"Yeah?" She said, slightly muffled due to the fact that she had just taken a bite of steak.

"When you said you have to pretend to be human, what did you mean?"

Sera swallowed and then her brows furrowed. She wasn't sure how much she should tell them, but then realized she already knew what she was going to say. "To stay under the radar so I can do my job, I have to be, you know, normal. When I took this vessel I just kept living her life, only I made it better, because now she's not going to die and her stepfather is dead."

Dean nearly choked on his beer. "What?"

"Oh, yeah, she was in the early stages of leukemia. I completely eradicated the cancer cells from her and arranged the death of the man she hated most in the world in exchange for use of her body. As deals go it's not that bad. I even let her drive when I really don't have anything to do."

Sam set down his fork. "Wait…so you can just let her be at the wheel without vacating her body? I thought that once an angel took a vessel they controlled it completely."

"Normally, yes, but I think we've already established I'm unusual."

Dean grunted, drawing Sera's attention. "What did her stepfather do?"

Sera went back to eating. "A lot of things. Trust me, he got off easy. I hope that he's getting what he deserves in hell. I'd tell you to ask Crowley but he'd want to know why you're asking and it's really not a good idea for him to know the identity I'm using."

Dean and Sam gave each other a look, like they weren't really sure how to feel about it. Sera looked up from her plate, "Oh, Sam don't make that face. Really, those puppy eyes of yours just break my heart."

"What face am I supposed to make?"

"Not that one. That's not a command, just a request. I have more than enough emotional issues without you making me feel bad for arranging the accidental death of a sex offender, okay?"

"Fine, I'll try to keep my eyes from looking too…puppy-like."

Dean snorted. "That'll be the day."

When they were done eating, Sera picked up the plates and trashed them. "Dean, would you give me and Sam a moment alone, please?"

Dean got up out of his chair, pausing to glance over at the pie. Sera smiled, "Don't worry, it will still be here when you get back."

Dean nodded and left, leaving Sam sitting at the table, looking expectantly at Sera. "So, Cas says hi."

"Is that it?"

"Obviously not, I'm just trying to lead into it."

"That…makes sense, I guess. What else did he say?"

"Don't be scared. He can hear your prayers, even your silent ones you don't intend to send, he knows what you're going through and wishes there was anything he could do to help, to alleviate your fears, and that when he does finally return, he's going to do his best to try to make up for it."

"If we live that long."

"Don't worry, you'll live to see him again. He also wanted me to give you something." Sera took three steps forward and Sam turned toward her. "What?"

She smiled, reaching forward and flattening her palm over his heart. She sang of few bars, no words, just flowing sound, and a feeling washed over Sam. He would describe it to Dean later as "a shower of pure love." This, of course, would be followed by Dean questioning his heterosexuality.

When she removed her hand, Sam let out a breath he had been holding. "What the hell was that?"

"I like to call it clarity. Your fear, your pain and memories of your past have been clouding your judgment, slowing you down. It almost got you caught a few hours ago. Now, those feelings aren't a problem. They're still there, but they won't be giving you any trouble for a time."

"Uh…thanks, I guess." Sam forced out, rubbing the place on his chest she had just touched. Dean burst in. "Everything okay?"

Sam turned and nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"It's just…there was a lot of light coming out of those windows I thought…never mind." He looked between them. "You guys done?"

"Yeah, you can come back in."

Dean came in the rest of the way, closing the door. Sera saw him glance longingly at the pie on the counter. "Go ahead, Dean, it should be cool enough by now." She didn't have to say it twice. She moved back around the table to her seat, picking up Dean's beer and taking a drink. "Alright, before I leave there's some other stuff I need to go over."

Sam, still rubbing his chest, turned in his chair toward Dean, who had reclaimed his seat with the whole pie, taking a knife out of his pocket to slice it up. "I want you guys to know that I am here for you, but not in the way Cas could be. The way I have to do things…I can't just be disappearing every time you need a little help, it's going to draw attention. So, here's how it is. You can call my cell phone if you need information about something that you have absolutely no clue on. I have a special summoning spell you can use for me but only in absolute emergencies. If you need help fighting or whatever, do not bother calling me. I'm a Guardian, not a soldier or a warrior, I'm not aggressive and I will not be able to help you."

Dean was scarfing the pie down directly out of the foil pan. Sam didn't seem the least bit surprised at the possibility that he wasn't going to get any. He rolled his eyes and then looked at Sera. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, there's a job you guys are supposed to get to, and I think I'm the one who's supposed to tell you about it."

"What is it?"

"It's in Tennessee, I'll write down the details with the instructions of that summoning spell and my cell number." She took another swig of Dean's beer then set it down on the table. All she had to do was look at Sam and he jumped up, going over to his bag, taking out a pad and pen and bringing it over to Sera. She took it from him and began scribbling while he stood over her, looking confused. "Why did I just do that?"

"Clarity, Sam. It's just too awesome" She kept writing as Dean and Sam exchanged a silent conversation about how he'd explain the whole thing later. She looked up at him. "Sam, honey, you're blocking my light." Sam stepped to the side and Dean chuckled. As soon as Sera was done transcribing she set the pad down and stood up. "Alright, that's it. I should get going. Have to get up early in the morning." Sam opened his mouth and Sera put up a hand. "Yes, I sleep. Just…stop asking silly questions. I'll see you guys later. Bye." She gave a casual salute and then vanished.

Sam sat down. "Well…she seems…nice."

"Cute, too."

"Seriously, Dean? That's what you have to say?"

"What, like you didn't notice? She's more your type than mine."

"I didn't know you even had a type. I thought that it was just…you know…women in general."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Three months had passed since they first met Sera, and so far she had definitely been a big help. She called them and steered them in the direction of the important jobs, gave them intel, kept them off the Angel's radar. They hadn't had a close-call incident since they met her, which definitely had to be a record. They hadn't seen her in all of that time, but they weren't complaining. She was definitely too valuable an asset to piss off by summoning every time they hit a snag.

The Winchesters had even gotten to the point where sometimes they called her just to talk. They acted like it was casual, and to a point it was, but really they were trying to narrow down where she was and what identity she was using. They found out she was a music teacher in an elementary school and a choir director at a Baptist church. But she also did odd jobs, sometimes babysitting or waitressing to earn extra cash. She truly was closer to human than anything, and it never ceased to amaze Sam that she was able to keep up the façade of having a normal life.

By this time they had gotten comfortable with the arrangement, which is why they were so surprised when they walked into their safe house for a celebratory drink and found her standing in the kitchen with a mixing bowl. By the stuff that was out on the counter, Sam guessed she was making chocolate chip cookies. "Hey there boys. Good day?"

Dean took a second to get himself together then plastered a smile on his face and went for the fridge for a beer. "Damn right. Took out two Leviathans and a ghost. The Leviathans never even saw us coming. You should have seen their faces."

"I bet it was priceless," Sera said, setting down the bowl and sprinkling in more chocolate chips. Dean leaned against the fridge and opened his beer. "So, cookies? No pie this time?"

"Are you disappointed?"

"Slightly, but I'll live."

Sam pulled up a folding chair and sat down at the kitchen table. Sera turned around with the mixing bowl and he finally got a good look at the apron she was wearing over her ivy green sun dress. It was a darker green and had the word "Angel" on it in yellow calligraphy with a halo over it. He had to laugh. "Cute apron."

Sera smiled as she stirred the chips in. "Thanks. Got it as a Christmas present last year from a student." She set the bowl down then got some parchment paper, laying out a sheet and then pouring the dough onto it. Sam looked around and noticed a purse on the end of the counter against the wall, out of the way of the baking supplies.

Dean looked in the same direction when he saw Sam noticed something, and guessed that Sera had something for them. As he made his way to another folding chair close to Sam he took a drink and then said, "Sera, not that we're not happy to see you but…I'm guessing you weren't just passing through town and decided to make us homemade chocolate chip cookies. What's this about?"

Sera sighed, "Dean, I was getting to it, you know I was. Is it so bad to want to make with the domestics first?" She was molding the cookie dough, wrapping it in the parchment paper. She tucked the ends in so neatly they stayed closed by themselves. She put the tube of cookie dough in the fridge to chill and then sat down at the table with the boys, wiping her hands on her apron. "Alright, so, I have news, gifts, and a job for you two. What do you want first?"

Sam and Dean looked at each other. Sam shrugged, then Dean looked back at Sera. "News, I guess."

"I was hoping you'd pick that last. Okay, well, you shouldn't be alarmed or anything, because I have everything under control, but some of the angels have been planning to eradicate your bloodline."

"What?" They said together.

"Your bloodline, you know, that thing that made you guys perfect vessels? Some of the more impressionable angels that followed Castiel have started trying to take extreme measures to prevent the Apocalypse happening again, only they're thinking in the long term. As long as even a drop of that blood exists within a person, there will be people who will try to make it happen. Now, they're leaving the two of you alone. They know that you would fight tooth and nail to keep that Cage from opening up again, so as long as you're alive they're safe. But, other people of your bloodline who could spawn potential vessels are on a hit list."

Dean started rubbing his eyes, "Exactly why should we not be alarmed by whatever relatives we have left being rubbed out by renegade angels?"

"Like I said, I have it under control. It's been a bitch but I've tracked all of them down, given them sigils and charms and put wards on their houses. Angels won't be able to see them, hear them, smell them or go near them. They're all safe, I just want you guys to be aware of the dangers, and to warn you to be careful not to knock anyone up until we can get these idiots rounded up."

Sam cleared his throat, "Alright, then, what's the job?"

"There was an archaeological dig in Kenya last month. The artifacts they found there are being shipped next week and landing at EWR before being taken to the University Museum for display."

"What are we stealing?" Sam said, as always the quickest on the draw.

"There's a ceramic disk, really early pottery, they think it's just a plate with some early form of language written on it, they don't know what it really is."

"What is it really?"

"A warding talisman, given to a human woman by one of the Watchers, to protect her from angels that wanted to prevent her child from being born."

"Sounds like the angels we know."

"The child was an abomination, Dean. It was a Nephilim. I don't agree with the extreme action my brothers tried to take to prevent them or hunt them down but I do agree that they should not be allowed to walk the Earth. They don't, any more, since God struck the Watchers sterile. Otherwise your planet would be riddled with worse things than even the…what did you name them? Jefferson Starships?"

Dean snorted. "Yeah, because they were-"

"Terrible and hard to kill." Sera said with him. "I remember. Anyway this talisman doesn't just ward off angels; it makes any form of Enochian magic completely null. This means that if the Angels enlisted someone, say a human assassin, to find these people on their hit list and use the warding Talisman to break my protective spells on them…"

"They could all be exposed and taken down before we even found out about the first one." Sam finished her sentence for her.

"Exactly. So you guys have a week to make a plan, get to New Jersey, steal the Talisman and destroy it before someone else notices it's there. Luckily it's a big ol' blindspot to the Angels but that will only keep them ignorant of it until it goes on display."

"So…how do we destroy it? I'm guessing something this powerful you can't just hit it with a hammer."

"Actually, that's exactly what you need to do." She got up and walked over to her purse, rifling around in it. Sam and Dean looked utterly confused until she walked back over and set a hammer down on the table. It looked ancient, and was made entirely of some kind of metal. "It's what they used to call a weapon of God. It's a hammer forged from the metal in a meteorite, sort of like those dragon-slaying swords used to be; only this one is made specifically for destroying mystical objects. Seriously, pound the piece of pottery to dust with this thing then mix the dust with salt and toss it in a furnace. You can't be too cautious with it. Also, don't touch it. If you do it will activate its power to full capacity and those Enochian sigils Cas scarred your bones with become useless. Seriously, they'll just disappear and then it's open season."

"No pressure, then." Dean said.

"Is this the gift you were talking about?"

"One of them, yes. Although this is more of a loan, I'll need it back when you're done with it."

"What else is there?"

"That's enough for now, boys. Go get cleaned up while I bake those cookies."

"But-" Sam started,

"I said go."

They both shot up out of their chairs. Dean set his beer bottle down on the table and they trudged out of the room, going to clean the black Leviathan sludge off their skin.

By the time they came back, all cleaned up in some fresh clothes, there was a plate full of chocolate chip cookies on the table waiting for them, as well as two glasses and a half gallon of milk. Sera was at the counter going through her purse. Sam couldn't help but notice that Dean nearly crashed into the table because he was too busy checking out her legs.

The boys sat down, Dean grabbing a cookie immediately and shoving the whole thing into his mouth. The melting chocolate burned his tongue but he didn't seem to mind. Sera turned around, holding a leather drawstring pouch. "Alright, so, before you see these, I think I should tell you what they're for, because I don't want any stupid questions or comments."

Sam answered for them both since Dean still had a mouth full of hot cookie to deal with. "Okay. What is it?"

"They're charms. Very special, very rare charms that can hide you. These things make you invisible to mirrors, cameras, motion sensors, the works. You and anything you're touching becomes invisible. However, they only work for 6 hours at a time so I don't recommend activating them unless absolutely necessary."

She sat down at the table, opened the pouch and pulled out two woven bracelets, each with a charm hanging from them that Sam would guess was made of bone, with a raw green stone embedded in it. "Don't worry, I'm sure if you keep the stone turned toward your wrist no one will know you're wearing jewelry." Sam took one from her and examined it. "Is this peridot?"

"Yeah, it's my stone. Literally, I designed its construction and everything. That's why it's very important you don't lose these or let anyone see them because this kind of spellwork can be traced back to me."

"I'll be sure to hold onto it then." Sam said, but half a second later Dean snatched it from his hand. "What kind of fiber is this?"

Sam tilted his head at Dean. "What? I have sensitive skin."

"It's hemp, and no you can't smoke it."

Sam snatched his bracelet back. "How do we activate them?"

"A drop of your blood. Just touch it to the stone and it activates the glamour."

"Cool," Dean said before picking up another cookie. Sera filled one of the glasses half way with milk and slid it over to him. He didn't even think about it, just picked it up and drank it. Sam's eyebrows went up in surprise, and then he looked at Sera, pointing at Dean. "I think that's the first time I've seen him drinking anything but alcohol since we were kids."

"Beer and cookies is a just a bad idea all over, Sammy." Neither Sera nor Sam could believe that that sentence just came out of Dean.

"Dude…are you okay?"

Sera stood up and walked over to him, putting her hand on his forehead. "He's not feverish." She looked at Sam, "I swear I did not put anything in those cookies."

"What are you guys freaking out about?"

"Did you sing while you were baking?" Sam asked.

Sera's eyes got wide, "Oh, crap, maybe."

"Maybe? You don't remember what you were doing an hour ago?"

"Yes, okay, I was singing. I didn't mean to I was just…"

"I'm still missing what the problem is exactly." Said Dean, moving to take another bite of his current cookie, which Sera snatched away. She sniffed it and took a bite. "Oh, damn. Dean I am so sorry."

"About what? I feel fine. Great, actually."

"I sort of…accidentally enchanted the cookies."

Dean stared at the plate, swallowed the bit he had in his mouth and then chased it with whatever milk was left in the glass. "How…I mean…with what?"

"I think it was…Don't Worry Be Happy?"

"You turned the cookies…into Prozac…by singing Bobby McFerrin." Dean said slowly, then reached out and took another cookie. "I gotta tell ya…they're not bad."

Sam and Sera just watched in amazement as he ate it. He dragged the plate toward him then held it up to Sam. "You want one before they're all gone?"

Sam looked at the Angel. She shrugged. "They're safe; they just might make you a little…happy." Sam looked at the plate and cautiously reached forward, taking one. Dean set the plate back down, Sera returned to her seat and filled his glass with milk again, and one for Sam, and pulled the plate away from Dean, who was grasping at it, so he didn't hog them all. Sam sat back down with them and finished off his cookie.

Pretty soon they were all laughing over…well they really couldn't figure that part out. Sera finally caught a glimpse of her watch. "Oh, dear, is that the time? I have got to get going. You boys enjoy the cookies."

Sam looked at the plate. "But…there aren't any left."

"There's more in a tin in the cupboard."

Dean smiled, "Of course there are, because you're just the gift that keeps on giving, aren't you Sera?"

"I do what I can." She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "Call me when you've destroyed the Talisman, we'll meet up somewhere and I'll bring some non-enchanted brownies to celebrate."

"What are you, a girl scout?"

"I was once. Hated the uniforms." And with that, she vanished.

"If she hangs around us too much I think I'm gonna go soft." Dean said, patting his stomach. "All this food shot up with love and happy, I'll end up being the fattest happiest Hunter in the history of the Earth."

"Please. We're not that lucky." Sam said, rather dejected. Dean looked up, "Dude, don't be a buzz kill."

It was the night before the big Museum heist, and everything, for once, was in perfect order. Their IDs, the timing, Sam even had the exact number for the box that held the Talisman. They hadn't taken their bracelets off in all that time, not wanting to risk losing them. Sam was sitting up going over the particulars again while Dean was passed out on the bed nearby. Sam kept looking over at him, checking up on him. He did this often these days, because when Dean was actually tired enough to fall asleep nothing could wake him up, and he would get trapped in whatever nightmare he was having. More than once Sam had to wake him up because he couldn't stand the screaming.

This time, however, he seemed to be resting just fine. His breathing was deep and even, his forehead wasn't scrunched up the way it usually got when he was trying to squeeze his eyes shut even though they were already closed. In fact he seemed…happy. Sam wondered what he was dreaming about, and then realized that since it was Dean, he probably didn't want to know.

Suddenly he heard a voice from behind him. "Hello, Sam." He jumped out of his chair, automatically grabbing the nearest weapon and pointing it at…Sera. He immediately relaxed. "Don't scare me like that, I almost shot you." He turned the barrel up and then set the gun back down on the table. "What are you doing here?"

Sera smiled and then looked at Dean. "I'm here for him." Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Uh…why?"

"I have a message for him, but I could only give it to him in his sleep, while his mind is at peace. This is the first time he hasn't suffered from nightmares since I've been here." She started walking over to the bed, but Sam stepped in her way. "Why does he have to be asleep? Why couldn't you just tell it to him?"

"Because I don't know what the message is. It's not mine to give him. It's personal, from Cas, but since he's still not allowed here he needs a proxy to get it through."

"What are you going to do?"

"I just have to touch him. It's fine. It won't hurt him, I promise."

Sam was unsure, but finally stepped aside. He figured that since she could have just ordered him out of the way she was being sincere. He watched as she walked over and crouched down next to where his head was lain, slowly taking her hand, pulling it across Dean's forehead and down the side of his face. Sam would swear that he looked even more relaxed than he was before. Soon as Sera was sure that it took, she stood and stepped away.

Sam reclaimed his seat, going back to what he was doing, assuming Sera would just leave. He wasn't expecting her to sit across from him. She wasn't saying anything just…staring. Sam finally looked up from his work. "What?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, something about you just seems…off. I don't know, might just be that you're worried about him."

"I feel fine. Actually, since you gave me that dose of clarity or whatever it was I've been great. No nightmares, no hallucinations, I haven't been this clear-headed and focused since-"

"Since you didn't have a soul?" Sera finished, and Sam nodded. "Yeah, I guessed so. Is it your lack of guilt that's bothering you?"

Sam realized she wasn't going to let this go. He set down what he was reading and set his arms on the table, sighing. "I don't know, maybe."

"I think the fact that you care about it proves that you're fine. If you weren't worried about it I would be. I gave you a very special gift, Sam, one that humans rarely receive. True clarity is hard to come by."

"Yeah, but…why me?"

"Because you needed it the most. Dean has his ways of dealing with his problems but you have the tendency to just lie and bury it all until it becomes dangerous to both you and your brother. The sadness, fear and insecurity were just radiating from you, and even though Dean doesn't need the clarity himself he does need you."

She reached out and took one of his hands. "The two of you were chosen, Sam, long before you were ever born. Your destinies are entwined so tightly that either both of you have to be or neither of you can."

She turned his hand over, and stroked the scar of the injury he had kept open for so long after his return from Hell. "Most of Heaven thinks that you were made to bring about the Apocalypse but the truth is, God planned that it would be you so you could prevent it. Anyone else would have given in, given up, but the two of you kept fighting even when it would have been impossible for anyone else to even survive. You even kept fighting back against Michael and Lucifer in Hell, and when you got your soul back you fought even harder to keep it, even though the emotions and the memories were driving you mad. The best part of it is that neither you nor your brother has any idea how extraordinary you are."

"But…" Sam forced out, "All of the things I've done. The demon blood, all of those innocent people I hurt and killed when I was soulless, all of the rage and the hatred…"

"Sam, you carry around so much baggage that you don't have to. You didn't know that the demon blood was addictive when you started, you just thought you were helping people, and when you were soulless you weren't yourself. As for the anger issues, you have to remember what exactly it is that you're mad about. You really think that hating demons is that bad of a thing? Compared to the other things you've done, the lives you've saved, what does any of that matter?"

Sam pulled his hand away. "Why us? Why is it always us that have to sacrifice so much?"

"Because you two are the only ones that can take it. You bite back, you keep fighting no matter how bad it gets or how much you lose. Bobby, Jo, Ellen, you parents, Jessica…there's a special place in Heaven for them because they sacrificed themselves to make sure you could keep going. It's sad, I know how much it hurts, but you have to remember that you will most definitely see them again."

"When?"

"I'm not allowed to answer that question."

"But you know?"

"Of course I know. I've known for ages. This was all written down centuries back."

"So, what, we don't have free will? We can't change it?"

"You do have free will, but no, it's not going to change."

"You're not making any sense, Sera."

"I'm making perfect sense, you're just not understanding it."

"Then explain it to me."

Sera sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You make every decision yourself. You choose what path your life takes, but the choice you are going to make has already been recorded, sort of like an in-depth biography only it was written down before you even existed. You make the choices yourself, I just already know which one you're going to make."

Sam nodded slightly, showing he understood. "I guess that's why the other angels aren't allowed to see it. They aren't really meant to know the future."

"Precisely. You're a smart kid, Sam. I would say you could have made one hell of a lawyer but I think we both know that was never really an option." She stood up and smoothed out her top. Sam had just noticed she was wearing green plaid pajamas. "I think I should get going." Sam stood up as well, thinking it was only polite. "Alright, well, I'll call you tomorrow as soon as we smash the Talisman."

"I'll be waiting." She straightened like she was about to disappear again and then stopped. Suddenly she rushed forward and embraced Sam. He was surprised, but after the shock wore off he put her arms around her. Finally she let go and he let her step away. "What was that for?"

"I don't know it just…felt like the thing to do." There was a long, strained, awkward silence, finally Sam cleared his throat and rubbed his neck and Sera smiled and said, "Well, I'll just…"

"Yeah." Sam turned away and Sera vanished. He shook off the strange feeling she had left him with, then sat back down and went back to work. Suddenly she appeared again, making him jump. "Forget something?"

"Yeah, actually." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "A place I found for us to meet up."

Sam reached forward and took it. "By the way, why are we meeting somewhere? I mean…couldn't you just appear back here afterwards to get the hammer back?"

"I have my reasons, Sam." And with that, she was gone again.

The next evening, Sera was sitting on her couch in her apartment, two stacks of paper on her coffee table. They were worksheets from her students that needed to be graded. Suddenly her cell phone went off. It was the ringtone she had set for Sam. She snatched it up and answered. "Hello?"

"Just calling to let you know it's done. Was the fire supposed to turn purple?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Run into any problems?"

"A few snags, nothing we couldn't handle. We're clearing out of the motel now, if we drive in shifts we'll be there in two days. Dean says he's going to hold you to that brownie thing."

"Don't worry, I'm bringing them. I'm going to start baking soon as I finish grading these papers." Sera said as she went back to what she had been doing, marking off incorrect answers with a red pen.

"You have to grade papers? I didn't know music classes had worksheets."

"Yeah, it's mostly vocabulary and multiple choice about the different kinds of notes and rests. Really basic stuff, but I'm convinced some of these kids don't know how to read."

"You teach at a public school, right? It's possible they don't."

"Not going to argue with you." Sera heard the sound of a trunk closing and the opening and closing of car doors. "What car you guys driving this time?"

There was a pause and muffled voices. "Dean says a '68 Chevelle. We still got about an hour and a half left on these bracelets so he's going to try and speed through all of the traffic cameras."

"That's just irresponsible driving, Sam, someone could really get hurt."

"I know that, but he doesn't seem to get it."

"Do I need to talk to him?"

Muffled voices again, this time for longer. Sera could sort of hear their whispered argument and it made her giggle. Finally Sam came back on. "No, he says he'll be good." She heard the car start up. "Anything else we should know about? I mean, any ancient and dangerous angelic artifacts we can smash while we've still got this hammer?"

"Nothing I know of, so nothing." She lowered her voice a little. "How's Dean?" She didn't know what the message Castiel wanted to send him was, or how it would affect him. "Great, really." Sam said. "Listen, I wanted to say thanks for last night. You really…uh…"

"It's fine, Sam, you don't have to say anything." She just knew Dean was laughing or giving him implicative looks. "I'll see you soon. Stay safe."

"You too," Sam said, and even though they really didn't have anything else to say there was a long, drawn-out moment of silence before they finally hung up on each other.

Dean started chuckling and couldn't stop. "Thanks for last night? What happened last night?"

"You didn't know? She came by. We…uh…talked."

"She was there just to talk?"

"Well, no, she said something about having a message for you."

"What was it?"

"You'll have to tell me, she gave it to you in a dream."

There was a long, awkward, strained silence as Dean tried to act like he had no idea what Sam was talking about, when obviously he did. He decided to break the silence with, "So what did you two talk about?"

"You know, meaning of life, secrets of the Universe, the usual."

Dean fiddled switched from the static of the radio to the tape that was in the player. Whoever they stole this car from had good taste. They didn't speak for several minutes then suddenly Dean broke the silence. "Why are we driving across seven states to meet her when she could have just done the whole angel teleport thing and gotten the hammer back from us that way?"

"I asked that same question, but all she came back with was 'I have my reasons, Sam.'" He said the last part in a mocking voice.

"I'm guessing she's compensating for the rest of her personality."

Sam just blinked at his brother. "What?"

"I'm just saying, she's supposed to be this all-powerful Guardian of God or whatever, but the majority of the time she talks and acts like a regular person. She's being vague and mysterious so we don't…I don't know…lose sight of who she is or whatever."

"Dean, stop being insightful, it's creeping me out."

"How do you think it's making me feel? You know I haven't had a drink since I ate those cookies? I'm all…aware and feeling things. It's messed up, man."

Sam laughed and Dean glared at him, "What are you laughing about?"

"Just that Sera's enchanted cookies turned you into a little bitch."

"Uh-huh, well you know why they didn't affect you, right?"

"Let me guess, because I'm already a little bitch?"

"Bingo."


	2. Chapter 2

Dean pulled into the gravel driveway of the house Sera told them to come to. He could see her moving through the illuminated windows. As the car jerked to a stop just in front of the house Sam was shaken awake. He blinked and asked groggily, "Are we here?"

"Yeah," said Dean, turning off the car and looking at the house. Sam rubbed his eyes and started feeling around in the back seat for their go-to duffle bag that held the hammer. Sam got ready to get out, but paused when he saw Dean hadn't moved. "What's the matter?"

He didn't take his eyes off of Sera, who appeared to be setting the dinner table. She was in this really form-fitting green sleeveless dress with cream trim and buttons. She looked like a house wife. "This is just plain cruel." He said, then looked at Sam. "We drive around in broken down stolen cars, we lose everyone because of this stupid fight against evil that will never end that God could stop at any time, and God's favorite little girl gets to live like this. She has a job, friends, family, and I mean look at that car." There was a silver BMW parked right in front of them. "Now she's setting a table in there waiting for us to come in and play Happy Families. I don't know what she's trying to get at but I don't like it."

Sam looked up at the house, through the window. Sera's back was to it, her long dark hair in a tight French braid. "She's given up as much as we have, Dean."

"What?"

"Well, think about it. She had a place of honor in Heaven, surrounded by her family, and she was forced to give it up. She's one of the most powerful beings in existence and she has to pretend to be a music teacher in a public elementary school. She couldn't even go home when Castiel killed hundreds of her siblings. In fact, she has to carry his messages to us, and stand by what he did because her father says so even though it's obviously killing her."

"She doesn't seem too bothered by it."

"Dean, how much time have you spent actually looking at her eyes?" Dean had to admit that wasn't the feature he focused on the most. After that moment of silence Sam nodded, "See? She's in pain every day, Dean, just as much as we are." He opened the car door and got out, and the sound caught Sera's attention. She opened the door before Sam got up the porch steps and Dean finally got out. She greeted them with a smile. "Hey, how was the drive?"

"Long and tiring." Sam said, sounding exasperated. "Shut up, Sam, you've been sleeping for the last two hours."

"You two better not come into this house bickering or I'll just pack up all that food I made right now."

"No!" The brothers said simultaneously, making Sera giggle. She held out her hand and took the duffle bag from Sam then stepped out of the doorway. "Come on in." As each of them walked past her, they received a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which was an ordeal with Sam because of his height. She closed the door behind them then directed them to the living room. They sat cautiously down on the couch, kind of scared to touch anything because everything was so clean.

Sera sat down in the chair adjacent to them and opened the bag. She pulled out the hammer then zipped the bag closed and set it next to the chair. She examined the hammer, as if checking it for nicks or to see if they were trying to give her a fake. She set it on the table next to her chair and then looked back at them. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't think of anything.

Dean sniffed the air. "What is that?" Sera smiled. "It's pot roast. It's a long weekend so I had a lot of free time and I just figured I could make a decent dinner. I made some more jewelry, too, but I didn't end up making anything useful."

She looked up at a clock on the wall. "I didn't time this right; it's another ten minutes before I can serve it." She angled her eyes down and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before looking up and expelling brightly, "Can I get you guys anything? I have beer."

"That's great, thanks," Sam said a little too quickly, tying a little too hard to alleviate the awkwardness. She hopped up and walked toward the kitchen. Dean watched her walk away then turned to his brother. "Dude, what the hell?"

"What?"

"Why is she doing this? I'm sure there's a ton of jobs we could be working right now."

"You're telling me you'd rather be beheading vampires or something than sitting in a nice house having a beer and a home-cooked meal that a literal angel made for you?"

"I don't know, maybe. I'm more comfortable dismembering monsters than I am here." He stopped talking as Sera came back in and handed them the bottles. When she noticed the silence she realized that they had been talking about her, so she just turned around and walked out again, making a lot of noise in the kitchen with everything she did.

"Dean, she's just trying to be nice."

"Haven't we learned not to trust 'nice' by now?" He said as he cracked the beer bottle open and took a drink, but suddenly stopped and coughed and set the bottle down on the coffee table in front of them. Sam patted him on the back. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know I think I'm just…not used to the taste anymore."

"Dean, you've been drinking non-stop since you were like, fifteen. How did you lose your tolerance to it in a week?"

"I don't know, Sam, I don't have that much experience with magic baked goods." Sam looked up and saw Sera carrying dishes from the kitchen to the dining room, "It's fine, man, just keep drinking. You'll acclimate yourself back into alcoholism soon enough."

Dean picked up the bottle, "I hope you're right." Sera came out of the kitchen with a pitcher of bright dark orange liquid with a ton of fruit in it, "Food's on the table, guys." She said as she went into the dining room. The brothers looked at each other and shrugged, then got up and followed her, taking seats at the round table with her. As soon as they set their bottles down and their hands were free, Sera put hers out for them to take.

This time they hesitated, but ended up taking her hands and each other's anyway. Sera bowed her head and said the prayer, then released them. She poured herself some of the contents of the pitcher, then took the lids off of the two dishes. One was the pre-sliced, slightly bloody roast and the other was a bowl full of mixed roasted vegetables. There was also a gravy boat filled with some kind of sauce, a basket of bread and a butter dish. She picked up the dish full of meat, served herself and then passed it to Dean on her left.

"I'm sure you guys are wondering why I'm doing this." She said as she dished herself up some vegetables. Sam tried to look like he didn't know what she was talking about and failed, and Dean tried to look concerned with the food. "Why I'm bothering to cook for you two, have you drive here when I could have just shown up wherever you were, going through all of these niceties that I really don't have to…"

"Actually I have been wondering exactly that." Dean said, reaching for the gravy boat Sera touched his arm. "Careful with that, it's horseradish sauce." He paused and then drizzled some over his roast. "The answer is simple, Dean." She said as she took the boat from him and drizzled some of the sauce over her own food while Sam dished himself up most of the veggies. "It's because I think you deserve a little TLC every now and then. You've gotten it so seldom in your lives, you've suffered so much, is it that bad that I want to cook you a decent dinner and give you a decent bed to sleep in when I can?"

Sera picked up the pitcher and poured some of the liquid into the glass at Dean's place. After he swallowed his food instead of reaching for the beer, he drank what she had given him. "What is this?" He asked, after chugging down half the glass. "Virgin Sangria. Lots of different kinds of fruit and juice."

Dean thought it tasted like sunshine and rainbows but he was not going to say that out loud. Sam looked at Sera. "Why can't he drink alcohol any more?"

"Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing?"

"It is if you did something to him."

Sera sighed and turned back to Dean, putting her hand on his and making him stop eating and look at her. "Dean, how do you feel?"

"Better than I have in a long time. I think the cookies wore off because I'm not…happy I'm just…not hurting or scared."

"Do you feel the need to drink anymore?"

"No, not really. I mean, I've been in the habit for a long time so it's a little weird but…no, I don't." Sera pulled her hand away and broke eye contact. "I didn't do anything to him on purpose, and any enchantment that was on those cookies has worn off by now. I'm not sure what this is, but don't put it on me."

Dean was still shaking himself back to reality. "Why do you care about how we're doing or how we feel or if we're being taken care of? I mean, you're an angel…"

"An angel in a human body with no life and tons of free time. You know what I did before I got the order to give you guys a message from Cas? I knitted. Even though I can't be out there fighting the fight with you, you two are pretty much my life now. When I'm not with you, all I can think about is where you are or what you're doing or when I can see you next. I've been bored out of my mind since I went into deep cover with this vessel so excuse me if I try to distract myself by trying to take care of someone. Caregiving is what I was made for, after all."

There was strained, frustrated silence as Sera just went back to eating and Sam just stared at her. "I'm sorry I…I didn't know. I mean, I just assumed…"

"That because I'm an angel I have _such_ and active social life and _so_ much to do? Yeah, not so much."

Dean, with his perfect timing, decided upon that moment to say, "This is really good."

This comment provided them with necessary distraction. Sera seemed incredibly flattered. "Thank you, Dean. It's been a long time since I've made pot roast I was really scared it wasn't going to come out right."

"Well it turned out perfect," He said, and Sam nodded in agreement before burying himself in his plate of mostly vegetables.

When they finished up and Sera cleared away the dishes, Sam helped her clean while Dean unloaded the car and took their respective bags to the rooms Sera had directed him towards on the second floor.

While Sera was taking the brownies out of the fridge and setting them in a pan to warm them back up properly and he was drying their dishes and putting them away, he looked around and noticed that the house was a little too clean, like it hadn't been lived in for a long time.

"So what is this place?"

"Oh, this house? It belonged to my vessel's cousin and his wife. They died in a car crash last year and I ended up with getting the house. I don't live here but it's nice for summer and winter vacation when I really don't have anywhere else to go."

"Yeah, it's a nice house. That's a really nice car out front, too. How'd you afford it on your salary?"

"Oh, that's not mine either. I'm just holding it for someone. I did procure it, though, didn't pay a cent."

"You stole it?"

"Not really. I mean, I walked into the dealership, sang a few lines to the right people, walked out with the keys."

"Who are you holding it for?"

"That's a secret." She put the brownies in the warm oven and then leaned against the counter. "So, I know how Dean is, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty messed up for thinking what I did of you earlier, but otherwise fine."

"Sam, fine is the word you use when something's wrong. You said you were just fine when you were hallucinating and seeing Lucifer in his old vessel everywhere. Come on, tell me the truth."

"You mean to say that you don't already know?"

"Maybe I do, but I just want you to say it."

He put up the last plate and then turned toward her and crossed his arms. "I'm scared, Sera. I haven't told Dean this but I've been seeing things again. That injury in my hand that I was using is all healed and it's not working anymore. I can't get any restorative sleep. Every time I start to dream I have to force myself awake. I've gotten pretty good at faking it but…it's catching up to me."

Sera took two steps toward him and place her hand on the side of his face and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Finally, she removed her hand and opened her eyes. "Tell me, Sam, do you think I'm stupid?"

"What?" he said, but that just made her angry. "The hormones that are produced in the human brain from fear or sleep deprivation are not present in your brain. You're trying to fish for something, but you're not going to get it."

"Sera, I..." She put up a hand to stop him. "No, don't, because if you start with the puppy dog eyes and the tearful appeals you might make me change my mind and I'm not taking that chance. I'm not Ruby, Sam. I'm not just going to give a dose of whatever it is you think you need every time you feel a little off your game. I refuse to let the breath of God become just another addiction to you. That was a gift, a one time gift from Castiel that I delivered, it's not like I could just shoot you up with it on a whim."

Looking guilty and a little hurt, Sam turned away from her. At that point Dean walked in. Sera turned away from Sam as well and opened the oven, taking out the now warm brownies. "Everything okay?" Dean asked, and Sam was the one to answer. "Yeah, of course, why wouldn't it be?"

"Maybe because I could cut the tension in this room with a knife?" He said, stepping farther into the kitchen. Sera set the brownies back on the plate she got them from. She turned around and distracted Dean with them. "Brownie?"

He immediately stepped forward and took one. After taking a bite, he made a satisfied noise. "Damn, Sera. Are you sure you didn't put any magic in these? Because they taste like Heaven."

"Nope, I just cook with the same secret ingredient every good baker cooks with."

"What's that?"

"Love, of course."

She smiled and then offered the plate to Sam. He relaxed a bit and took one, trying to look casual. She set the plate down on the counter and then hopped up on an empty space nearby. Sam looked between them and then said, "Yeah, I'm really tired, I think I'm going to head to bed."

"Night Sam," Sera said. After receiving the directions to his room again, he made his way out of the kitchen, Sera listened until she heard him thinking up the stairs. Dean was leaning against the wall next to the door, and Sera wasn't sure if he was looking at her or the plate of brownies. It was quiet. Not the awkward kind of quiet, but a comfortable quiet. They didn't really need to speak.

Dean finally crossed the floor to get another brownie. "Aren't you tired?" Sera asked, "I mean, Sam's been napping and he's completely wiped and you've been driving all day."

"No, I'm fine. Not really a big sleeper."

"So I've heard. What's you're usual sleep cycle, like three or four hours every five days?"

"Something like that."

"And since you slept the other night you're not due for another catnap tonight, right?"

"Yeah. By the way, Sam told me I have you to thank for that dream I had."

"I guess. I don't know what it was, I'm not supposed to know, so please don't thank me for any particulars. Are you sure you don't want to go to sleep? You look so tired."

"I get told that a lot, apparently looking tired is my normal face." He devoured another brownie, "Dean, I think you need to rest."

"There's time for that when I'm dead."

"There's time for it now." She jumped down off the counter, walked over to where she left the saran wrap for the brownies, came back over to cover them up and then put them in the fridge. She turned back around to Dean, who looked like he had just been kicked in the stomach. She put her hand out and waited for him to take it. "Just come with me. I'll guarantee you sweet dreams."

"You can't guarantee that, even if you try to mind-hack me or whatever, my brain's still going to do what it wants."

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't, you never know until you try." Unfortunately, that was the same logic Dean had used a thousand times before to convince a lot of women to do a lot of stupid things. He couldn't argue with it, so he reached forward and took her hand. She led him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room, shutting the door behind them.

Dean started to look through his bags but stopped and looked at Sera when he realized she was unbuttoning her dress. "What are you doing?"

"Uh…getting undressed, what does it look like?"

"Why?"

"Uh, because if I fall asleep I don't want it to be in this dress. I bought it online, which means I actually paid for it." She opened it up to reveal an emerald green underwear set. Dean laughed and moved the bag off his bed, taking off his over shirt. "Is every clothing Item you own either green or black?"

"Yes, because it's my color."

"What, you own it?"

"Yes." She said matter-of-factly, as if he should have known it already. She pulled the band out of her hair and undid the braid. Dean figured this had to be the first time in his life he was in a room in proximity to a bed with a girl this naked and there felt like there was absolutely no possibility of sex. It felt weird.

He sat down on the bed and watched as Sera walked over to him. She bent down and opened up his bag, pulling out Castiel's trench coat. She slowly folded up properly, then moved around to the side of the bed and climbed into it, sitting up and laying the trench coat-pillow on her lap. Dean scooted back to lay down, and she pulled his head onto her lap. He just went with it, but he was obviously uncomfortable. He laid his arm across her legs and she began stroking his hair and humming. Then she started to sing softly, Dean didn't recognize it because he'd never seen "O Brother Where Art Thou?" but Sam would have known it was the Siren's lullaby.

The words worked their magic, and soon enough he was fast asleep, but since he began to stir whenever she stopped, Sera continued to hum until she fell asleep sitting up against the wall.

Dean was awakened by the sunlight breaking through the window. Sera was gone, and he was cuddled up with the bundled coat. He quickly pushed it away from him and sat up, rubbing his eyes and ruffling his hair. He heard laughter coming from down stairs and sniffed the air to find the smell of bacon wafting through the air. Of course he jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs, careful to slow down before walking down the hall so as not to appear too enthusiastic.

The laughter was coming from Sera and Sam, who were messing around in the kitchen, making breakfast. Sera was flipping pancakes while Sam was keeping an eye on the bacon. Sam moved to put the fried goodness on a plate layered with paper towels and caught sight of Dean. "Hey there sunshine, sleep well?"

Sera glanced over but Dean was careful not to pay her too much attention. "Yeah, like a baby dosed up with cold medicine. You?"

"Pretty good, weird dreams though."

"Average weird or weird for you?"

"I dreamed about Sirens." He said putting a few more slices of bacon in the skillet, and Sera snorted. Sam turned to look at her, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." She double flipped the pancakes to make sure they were done then stacked them up on a plate. Dean noticed she was wearing a green t-shirt and a pair of jeans instead of the dress from the night before. When had she changed? After she set the plate of pancakes down she looked at Dean, "You can go ahead and sit down if you want, I don't think we need any help."

He pulled up a chair at the kitchen table, and before he realized she had moved a glass of O.J. was placed in front of him. She went back to the griddle and greased it with a stick of butter. "How do you boys like your eggs?"

"Scrambled," They said together, which produced a bemused look from Sera. She cracked some eggs into a bowl and scrambled them with a splash of milk, then poured the mixture onto the griddle.

They had a nice breakfast. She already knew all of Sam and Dean's stories so she told some about her students and a few from her past vessels, most of which were absolutely hilarious. When they were done and everything was cleaned up, Sam and Dean knew they had to leave, but when they came downstairs with their bags to say bye she stopped them. "Wait, I have something for you." She grabbed some keys off the hook by the door and handed them to Dean.

He looked at them, at the insignia on the alarm remote, then at her with disbelief. "No." She smiled and nodded. "I figured you were tired of driving around in broken down stolen cars so I got you one of your own. It's not the Impala but you'll be able to keep it for much longer than you usually keep the ones you keep rotating. No one will be looking for it."

She led them outside and popped the trunk, opening up the bottom of it. "There's a place to hide your weapons in case the cops pull you over." She closed it and pointed to the boxes and bottles shoved against the back, "I've stocked it with Borax," She closed it, then moved around to the driver's side, opening it up. "There's a GPS system, and an iPod jack and CD player in the stereo system. Excellent speakers, and I stocked it the disc compartment under the dash with mix CDs. Oh," she leaned in, which just gave both the guys an excuse to stare at her butt.

There was a clicking noise, which Sam assumed was from the glove box. When she came back up she was holding a one of those long leather wallets with about ten spaces for credit cards. "I made sure all of the fake paperwork was in order," She opened up the wallet. It was full of IDs. "These are for you guys. There's registration, insurance, licenses, all with flawless false identities, and the best part…" She tapped the hood of the car. "This thing is triple enforced; it's made for like, foreign dignitaries. Shatter-proof glass and everything. It could get hit by a train and it might shake you up a bit but the car will still be in one piece."

They were both just staring, not sure what to say. "If you're fishing for something to say, a thank you would be appreciated."

Dean finally came back to his senses and then smacked Sam who stuttered out, "Uh, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, you two need to get on the road. There's a town about a hundred miles from here that's going to be in trouble soon."

She popped the trunk and gave them both hugs as she walked past to go back inside. Dean turned and called her name as she reached the door. "Thanks." She smiled and blushed. Seraphiel actually _blushed_. "You're welcome. Try not to die or anything okay?"

"We'll try." He handed his bag to Sam to put in the trunk then got into the driver's seat. He opened the disk compartment and took out the first CD labeled "Dean's Mix 1." He started up the car and put the CD into the player, he smiled and shook his head as the intro to "Ramble On" began to play through the speakers. He turned it up as Sam was getting into the car.

"Dude, really?"

"Damn straight." Sam reached for the volume dial but Dean smacked his hand away. "Try that again and I'll cut you." He said, completely flat and serious as he put the car in drive.

Sera watched from the window as the car disappeared down the gravel drive. As soon as they were out of her sight she went through the house and turned off all of the lights. She closed her eyes and willed herself back to her house. When she opened them again she was there in her shadowy little apartment. She let out a breath, and looked around. If she had turned completely around, she would have seen the source of the danger she was feeling, but unfortunately she didn't in time.

A hand clamped over her mouth and the cold, burning sting of an angel blade pressed to her throat. "Hello, honey," said a deep voice that sounded like someone gargling gravel. "Welcome home."


	3. Chapter 3

Sera existed in empty darkness. A blindfold had been placed over her eyes, a gag in her mouth and noise cancelling headphones over her ears to prevent her seeing or hearing where they were going, or escaping by singing a command. Her throat burned where the angel blade had nicked her, and by now the trickle of blood it produced had dried on her neck. Even though she had never seen his face, she recognized the energy that was coming off of her kidnapper. It wasn't hard to recognize Samyaza. She was very well acquainted with the leader of the Watchers.

She had been expecting this, and yet it had taken her completely by surprise. She knew that he would track her down eventually. The Watchers had been incredibly easy to sway to Castiel's cause, for they were the first group of angels ever to fall for humans. They were the guardians of mankind, with their own physical forms and no possible need of vessels. Above all else they wanted to ensure the continuance of mankind's freedom, because that is what they had been created to do. How this mission became so twisted, Sera would never know. She guessed that's what love did to people.

She was jerked hard to her right and felt herself fall into a chair, there were more of them now, unbinding her hands but keeping her restrained until they could tie her to the arms and legs of the chair. The headphones were removed but no one was speaking, all she heard was the shuffle of movement and the metallic electric grind of a generator.

Sera wondered when they were going to say something, anything, because if they just wanted to kill her they could have done that already. Finally she heard the scrape of chair legs against a concrete floor and that deep voice began speaking.

"The only reason we haven't killed you yet I because we know you've spoken to Castiel. You can't tell us where he is or what he wants if you're dead. Plus, we know you've been with the Winchesters. Killing you would get them after us and no one's willing to take that chance."

Well, that was easy. So now she knew what they wanted, but she couldn't tell them she didn't have the information they needed with this stupid gag in her mouth. "Now, I'm going to have my friend remove your blindfold and gag. I've drawn your seal on the floor beneath your chair and above your head, so don't try anything funny."

A moment later her sense restraints were removed. It was so bright she had to blink to let her eyes adjust. Samyaza was sitting in a turned around chair a few feet away from her, more like a pop star than a disgraced angel. She looked at the one who was moving away from her, and caught a glimpse of his eyes. Demons. The leader of the Watchers was working with Demons. She looked at the floor and the ceiling where her seal was drawn in blood, and at her wrists, wondering why the restraints were stinging her so. Once she saw what they had used to tie her up with, she no longer wondered.

She looked at her brother. "Hello, Samyaza, it's been a long time."

The angel grinned maliciously. "That it has, Seraphiel, far too long. I believe the last time was in France, during the Bohemian Revolution? You were a redhead then, I recall. You chose your vessel just so you could look your best in those green dresses."

"You were protecting that courtesan, were you not? The daughter of that Hunter that held a vessel bloodline?"

"Your memory is as perfect as ever, sister." He pulled his blade from a sheath at his belt, putting his fingertip to the point and twirling it. She knew he was trying to intimidate her, but it wasn't working. She felt the blood trickling from her wrists where the thorns were stabbing into her skin. She tried not to look at it. The less she thought of it the less it hurt her.

Being more human than angel was an advantage to Seraphiel most of the time, it helped her hide. She didn't have to fake emotions and she understood what the others didn't, but unfortunately there were drawbacks. She couldn't separate her mind from her vessel to make herself not feel. God seemed to think she needed to feel the pain as well as the pleasure of humanity.

"Where is Castiel?"

"I don't know. Trust me, if I did I would have gone and gotten him myself by now if I could."

"I didn't know you were on our side, sister."

"I'm on God's side, Samyaza, it's the only side I have. God loves Castiel, so he will return, but he needs to be punished for what he's done and be forced to understand why it was wrong."

"He was trying to fix the world, Seraphiel."

"And in doing so released the Leviathans. If you really want to help Castiel, why don't you spend your time hunting them down instead of kidnapping me?"

"You have information we need."

"Information about what?"

"Everything, dear sister. You're the Guardian of the Almighty and his Scribe, the future Gospels are burned into your very essence, as well as the location of Metatron and the Father. We need them."

Sera gritted her teeth. "That knowledge is forbidden, Samyaza, you would not dare anger Our Creator by violating me in that fashion."

"If you would be so kind as to simply give me the information, I would not have to commit such blasphemy."

"Even if I wanted to, I can't. You know I cannot."

"I figured you would say that, and I wish I could believe it but you have been living on this Earth for far too long, it is possible you have acquired the ability to deceive even me."

"I could always deceive you, Samyaza, you're just a Watcher. I'm the Chief of the Seraphim."

"True, and as such I love and follow you, and I am sorry."

Sera clenched her fists and pulled against her restraints, making deeper wounds. "You cannot do this, Samyaza."

The demon came over and pulled her chair to the edge of the seal, so that she was still trapped and Samyaza could do what he pleased without getting trapped with her. Her brother stood from his chair and walked slowly towards her, and all of the time she was struggling against the thorns.

He reached her, and she looked away from him, not being able to stand the look in his eyes or seeing what he was about to do. He tore her shirt open, exposing her skin, he dragged the angel blade down until he was just below her sternum. She felt him use the blade to make shallow cuts into her skin, when he was done, she looked forward, watching him put the blade back in its sheath.

"This is your last chance, sister."

"Go to Hell."

Suddenly, he clenched his fist and pressed it against the Enochian symbol, pushing in and up, reaching into her. She could feel him against her heart and down into her soul, if that's what you could call an angel's energy, as well as the soul of her vessel. The pain was intense, stronger than anything she had ever felt. She closed her eyes and screamed from the agony. Suddenly, it was over. She opened her eyes to see why, and her eyes beheld Samyaza stumbling away, his hand charred and emblazoned with words of God.

"So…much…power in this knowledge." He fell to his knees. The demon stepped forward as if to help him, but he put his hand out, making the demon fly across the large room into the wall. "Do not dare approach me, filth." He looked at his hand and it slowly healed itself. When he looked up, there seemed to be a light behind his eyes, brighter than usual for an angel. "I need to know more."

She watched as he forced himself to his feet and then fell again. She didn't realize how labored her breathing was until she tried to speak. "You weren't made to handle this knowledge, brother. It's going to destroy you."

She forced her head up. "Stop now, while you still have a chance."

He glared at her out of the top of his eyes and slowly forced himself up, clenching his fists. She shook her head as tears rolled from her eyes, "Please…no" were the last words to escape her before he forced his hand in again and the only sound she was able to make was ultimate suffering.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a week since they spent the night with Sera, and Sam was starting to get worried. She never failed to answer her phone before when he called. Dean said it was because she was just busy or didn't have anything to tell them, but Sam felt in his soul that something was wrong. They were driving through Kansas City when he picked up the phone and called again. "Sera, this is the last message I'm going to leave you before we try the summoning spell, if you don't want us to yank you out of wherever you are call me back before seven." He hesitated before hanging up, like he forgot what he was doing for a moment.

"I'm telling you if something was wrong, she'd let us know somehow."

"Unless she can't."

"Sam, we already know holy fire can't trap her, what do you think could?"

"There's always something, Dean. Chances are another angel or a high-level demon could figure out how."

"Fine, if she doesn't answer by the deadline, we'll summon her. If she's trapped it won't work, then we'll find her."

Sam looked at his phone, wishing that it would ring. Dean, seeing the kicked puppy look his brother was sporting, pulled one of the mix CDs in the compartment that he had been too scared to play because it was labeled "Sam's Mix." As soon as he hit play he regretted it, but it seemed to cheer Sam up a little.

It was six, they were in a seedy hotel room that they had picked because it had absolutely no security. Sam had already set up a table as an altar to summon Sera and had started the countdown.

Dean was sitting on the bed, and had to admit to himself that he was getting rather nervous. Sam could tell because he was cleaning all of the guns again. When he had finished doing that, he began pacing.

A few hundred miles away, Sera was struggling to maintain consciousness. Samyaza was gone somewhere. He left on and off to try and process what he had siphoned from her. He hadn't gotten to the information he was after yet, she had it buried deep. He was slowly draining her, though, and she didn't know how much longer she could last. The demon stayed to watch her, but he was poorly informed. For instance, if Samyaza had bothered to warn him that Seraphiel could draw power from music, he wouldn't be singing as he sharpened the weapons Samyaza had set aside in case he had to resort to actual torture.

Sera was getting stronger by the second, but she kept trying to pretend she didn't feel better. She kept her eyes closed and reached out, trying to find where Dean and Sam were. She found Dean, maybe because he was wearing the bracelet she made him and the peridot was touching his skin.

_Dean._ It was just a whisper through his mind, but was quite obviously not a thought of his own. Dean stopped pacing, turning his head as if to listen harder, even though the message had not been actual sound. Sam perked up when he noticed Dean had stopped moving, wondering what had made him stop but not wanting to say anything in case he broke his concentration.

_Sera?_ He thought at the shadow of the voice. He felt an affirmative although there wasn't another word. She was weak, in pain, he could feel it. _Where are you?_Images and sounds flashed through his mind. She was seeing through her eyes. It was an old warehouse, she was glancing around for clues. Finally he saw a rusted company sign, but he could only make out half the letters. He scrambled for a pad and pen and wrote them down, with the spaces in tact. He heard the generator, but no car traffic, she looked at the Demon sharpening blades, and then toward the door. Samyaza was coming through it. Dean saw his arm now covered in burn scars and the tattoo on his other arm. He drew it, too, as well as he could. It looked Enochian. _Hold tight, we're coming._

The images faded, but he could feel the relief mixed with a rush of fear. Sera was sure to sever the connection before Samyaza started to rape her soul again.

Sam hit the internet and Dean hit the few books they had that held accurate angel information. Every second that passed by without an answer made the atmosphere ten times as tense.

"I can't find the insignia in any of these." Dean said as he slammed the book he was skimming shut and pushed it away. Sam looked up as if struck by something then looked at Dean. "Do you still have that book we found in the trunk with the rest of that stuff Sera gave us?"

"Yeah."

"Wasn't it about the Watchers and the Nephilim?"

Dean nodded, then looked confused, then his eyebrows went up in sudden understanding, then furrowed in frustration at not thinking about it earlier. He went over to the bag they kept the books in and searched through it for the relatively small leather-bound volume. He came back to the table with it and kept flipping pages until he saw an image of Samyaza, the leader of the Watchers, carrying a woman in his arms. The picture was fairly close to the man that he had seen, only he wasn't all scarred up, and the same symbol was on his chest. There was a paragraph-long caption under the image, but Dean couldn't read the script.

He handed the book to Sam and took the laptop from him to continue the search for an address. Sam read to himself for a moment then looked at Dean. "It says that the Watchers are warded off by impurity. When they were going around seducing women and creating Nephilim they were always virgins."

"So…what? We get some dirt?"

"Dean, that's just silly."

"Well what then?"

"We need salt."

"No angels on any level are repelled by rock salt."

"No, not regular salt, Black Salt."

"What the hell is black salt?"

"It's this special kind of salt mixed with charcoal. We might be able to use it like rock salt to hold him off until we can get Sera out of there."

"Might?"

"It's an idea, Dean, I don't see you coming up with anything."

Dean pulled the pad toward him and started scribbling. "Well, screw you because I just found an address." He tore off the page and shoved it in his pocket, jumping up and shoving everything back into their bags. "Where can we find black salt in between here and Cheyenne?"

Sam grabbed the laptop and did a quick search as Dean continued to pack. "There's a supply of it at a health food store not too far from here. It's expensive though, we might have to steal it." He slammed the laptop and grabbed a bag, and they both headed out the door.

Sera had run out of screams by now. Hell, she probably couldn't even use her voice any more. Samyaza backed away from her, the entire room smelling like burnt flesh and pure blasphemy. "You have seen so much, Seraphiel. You know so much, how can you stand it all?"

"I was made to withstand it, you were not." She took a few deep breaths and then forced herself to lift her head. "You are not strong enough, Samyaza."

"I've withstood everything I've taken from you so far. I can handle whatever it is you're hiding."

"No, you can't. The fact that you think you can proves that you can't. Look at yourself, brother. You're destroying yourself. Stop this now, or you will die."

"What, you're going to kill me? You keep telling me to look at myself but look at you, you're powerless, and you're dying. There's no way that you'd be able to take me down."

"I didn't say I'd be the one to kill you." The look in her eyes was a sincere warning. She managed enough strength to pull hard against the restraints, opening all of the wounds the thorns had made and widening them. The Watcher had the good since to jump back. "Death is coming for you no matter what you do, whether or not it is by my hands is entirely up to the decisions you make today."

She had angered him, she saw that. He was stepping forward again. "I am not the one at risk for dying here, sister."

He reached into her again, and this time Seraphiel tasted blood.

Dean had never driven so fast in his life. As they drove they pounded down energy drinks and Sam tried to pack black salt rounds for the shotguns. If it had been in any other car he probably wouldn't have accomplished it. They activated the bracelets so that no cameras or speedometers could pick them up, and they had worked. They had almost caused a few accidents along the way, but they reached their destination in a little less than half the time.

They loaded the Black Salt rounds into the guns and looked at the building. "Are sure this is it?" Sam said, "It's so...quiet."

"Just listen." He said, and sure enough when they were silent Dean could hear the hum of a generator. This area had almost no traffic, a perfect place to hold someone for torture. They could scream all day and no one would hear. They got out of the car, careful not to make too much noise and avoided the gravel as they approached the building. They stood by a door, waiting to see if there was any sound. Dean and Sam looked at each other, Dean signaling that he was going to kick in the door and Sam nodding.

Dean moved in front of the door and kicked it in, breaking the rusted lock. Inside the large open room Sera was placed in the middle, tied to a chair with thorny vines, blood, sweat and tears all dripping from her. The demon who was guarding her rushed them, but Sam was quick, he dropped his gun and pulled the Knife from his belt, slicing the demon's throat as Dean moved toward Sera, crouching down and cutting the vines from around her legs and wrists.

She managed to speak. "Traffic?"

"The worst."

Sam picked his gun back up and covered them. Sera breathed hard to build up strength. "Dean…you need to…" She gasped for air. "It's alright," Dean said, "I got you."

Sera shook her head. "Can't move until you…break the seals." Dean couldn't figure out what she was talking about, until he looked down and saw the symbol drawn on the floor beneath her, he took his knife and scraped it off the floor. He moved to pick her up out of the chair but she grabbed his arm to stop him. "Other one," She forced out, and looked up. About ten feet above them on the ceiling there was another one. "Dammit," Dean said.

"Sing to me," She hoarsely whispered. "Need…strength and…knife." It took a moment for him to realize what she was saying, so he started singing a song they had heard on the way over. "_I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away,_" Because it seemed the most appropriate thing he could remember. He watched at the cuts on her abdomen healed, and the wounds around her wrist, but he heard the gun go off before he could restore her strength. He turned to see Sam, shooting at the Watcher. He'd hit him in the shoulder, but that wasn't good enough. He fired again, shooting him right in the heart. It definitely slowed him down. The Watcher sank down, holding his chest. He brought his hand away and looked at the blood.

Dean called at Sam for the knife, and Sam tossed it to him. He put it in Sera's hand. "You think you can make it?"

She didn't speak, just nodded, then lifted her arms so he could help her up. He pulled her to her feet, and she looked up at the ceiling, squinting at it, she threw the knife up, throwing it hard enough for it to stab through the outer rim of the seal. It broke with an electric crackle, and her legs gave out. Dean caught her and kept her upright. She swallowed.

"Take me…to him." She said, and Dean picked her up, carrying her over to the Watcher and setting her down. She collapsed on her knees, but refused when Dean tried to help her up. She pulled Samyaza's blade from it's sheath and held it at his throat. He looked genuinely scared as he struggled to breathe. Sera clenched her other hand into a fist, then reached into the Watcher's spirit. Dean and Sam watched as pure light flowed into her, and then it swirled in with black smoke. Finally, she pulled back, then leaned down and whispered to the Watcher. When she sat up, Dean saw his face. It was mortal terror. He guessed that wherever Sera was sending him, it was really not good. She lifted the knife above her head and then drove it into the already open wound above his heart. The Winchesters had to cover their eyes from the blinding light. She pulled it out when the light was gone.

There was a moment of absolute Silence. "Dean, could you help me up? I'm still weak." He nodded and lifted her to her feet again. She was a bit wobbly, but she could stand on her own. She turned and stepped back over to where she had been held, looking up at the ceiling. She counted down from five, and when she reached zero the knife fell out of the ceiling and she caught it in her upraised hand. She began to sway, and this time Sam reached her first. He held her up, took the knife from her, stuck it back in his belt, then lifted her off her feet. Dean picked up Sam's gun, covering them on the way to the car just in case more demons or angels decided to show up.

When they got into the car Sam got into the back seat with Sera, wetting a paper towel with Holy water to clean the blood off of her and help her heal what was left of her physical wounds. She smacked her lips and Dean passed back one of the drinks the bought when they stopped for gas. After getting a drink Sera managed to speak. "Glad to see you guys figured out the black salt thing."

"You could have just told us and it would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"You had to figure it out for yourselves. Besides, if I had said it you wouldn't have remembered. Dean, you should keep singing, Sam has more than enough questions, I'm sure they're the same as yours only with bigger words."

Dean turned the radio on and began singing along with whatever was on. Sam finished up cleaning the wrist of the hand that wasn't holding a water bottle. "What kind of vines were those?"

"Blackberry. Or at least a form of it. The lore is that it's the bush Lucifer landed in when he was thrown from Heaven into Hell, but I don't actually know if that's true, it's not a detail Metatron thought to record. All I know is that it can restrain me. He painted my personal seal in blood, as well. It's like my own personal Devil's trap, but it will trap any angel lower ranked than me."

"Which is most of them."

"All but one."

She sat upright but then leaned against Sam's shoulder. "I'm so tired…he kept me awake for days."

"What did he want?"

"Information only I had. Where to find Metatron, and God, and Castiel. He was trying to find the future, too, but he didn't get that far."

"When did he snatch you?"

"About ten minutes after you guys pulled out of the driveway."

"He had you all week?"

"Yeah, I had to bury quite a bit pretty deep so he couldn't get to it. Stuff about you guys and Castiel in particular, since that seemed to be his goal. He found out a lot though, and I don't know where he was off to when he wasn't with me, he could have told anyone anything."

The silence that followed was tense. Dean realized he didn't have a destination. "Um, where should we go?"

"Do you have a pad and pen?"

"Yeah." Dean pulled into a gas station and then leaned over to open the glove compartment, taking out a pad and pen and handing it back to her. She scribbled an address down and handed it back to him, and he entered it into the GPS. "While we're here do you need anything?"

"Sugar, salt, protein and iron. I lost a lot of blood." Dean nodded and left the car. Sam put his arm around Sera and stroked her hair, she seemed to take comfort in it. She sighed, "I need a shower and a long rest."

"Is anyone missing you?" Sam asked, "I mean, you have a job and everything…you haven't been at your school all this week."

"Probably, but it doesn't matter now. I'll have to change vessels anyway." She said groggily. Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Just like that? I thought angelic vessels had to be of a certain bloodline or whatever."

"Normally, yeah, but I don't have to follow that rule. I can occupy anyone that accepts me. I might go for an orphan or some destitute wannabe singer or something, someone with no connections who barely exists. Someone no one will miss, because I can't risk settling down anywhere now."

"So…are you going to come with us?"

"Not now, I have to search first, but maybe after I find a new body." Sam was actually please by this. He wanted her around. "What about this vessel?"

"When I move into a new body I'll give her a sigil and let her go back to her life. She might need several months of physical therapy to recover from what we just went through, but ultimately she'll be fine."

Dean came out of the station with a bag full of snacks, and Sera sat full upright. When he got in, he passed her some PowerBars, sports drinks and juice. "Between all of that I think you'll be good." He said as she read the nutritional facts on a bar and tore it open. She handed one of the bottles of juice to Sam and leaned on him again. When Dean looked in the rear view mirror he thought she looked like a five year old sleeping against her older brother on the way home from a tiring day at the fair as she nibbled on the bar. He started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot, turning up the radio.


	5. Chapter 5

The silver BMW pulled into the parking lot of an apartment building. It had taken them an hour to get there and in that time Sera had eaten all of the snacks and fallen asleep in Sam's lap. When the car stopped, however, she was jerked forward and woke up. "Are we here?" She asked groggily.

"Yeah," Dean answered. "Which one are we going to?"

"208. There's no elevator because it's only three floors."

"Will you be able to walk that far?"

"Probably not, but I can try." Sera sat up and felt dizzy, rubbing her temples. Sam got out of the car first, then she slid over and attempted to stand on her own. She was fine until she tried to walk, then Sam had to catch her. Dean had gotten out by this time. "It's my turn, dude. You carry the bags." He shoved the keys into Sam's hand and then reached for Sera, and she put her arms around his neck so he could sweep her off her feet.

He started walking toward the building. Sera leaned her head against him. "Thank you for saving me, Dean. I had almost lost hope I would ever get out of there."

"You should know better."

"I do, but emotion overrides logic." She sighed, "While I'm shopping for a new vessel, do you have any preferences?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, hair or eye color or whatever. Try to make it something that looks good in green, I have standards."

Dean opened the door of the building with his foot and turned to get her through it. "Nah, I won't say, I don't want you to think I'm shallow or anything."

"Dean, are you forgetting who you're talking to? I already know everything about you. Every single one night stand and short-lived hookup. I know about Lisa, and even that one girlfriend you had that made you try on her underwear that got you addicted to satin."

He started walking up the stairs. "I've never told anyone but myself about that."

"I know, but it's all in here," She took a hand from around him to tap her heart, and then put it back in place. "Everything about you and Sam is written into me, Dean. Now, tell me what you'd like me to look like or I'll have to start guessing."

Dean made his thinking face as he paused on the landing. "Well, I guess I like blonds."

"Blond it is, then." He looked around and opened the door to the second floor with his hip, carrying her down the hall, looking at the numbers on the doors. When they got to 208 he set her on her feet so he would have a free hand to turn the doorknob. She was able to take the few steps from the door to her recliner with him supporting her. He looked around the apartment, there were two doors besides the entrance, and both of them were open. One was the bedroom and the other was the bathroom. The kitchen, living room and dining space was all one area. It was a nice place for a single girl, just enough space. She leaned forward and put her face in her hands.

"The couch folds out, just move the coffee table out of the way." Dean proceeded to do so as Sam came in with their two go-to bags with their clothes and toothbrushes. Sera forced herself up and they both froze, just in case she needed help. She looked at them. "I think I'm good." She took a few steps, turning toward her bedroom and shuffling toward it. When she closed the door they looked at each other. They were silently arguing about the sleeping arrangements. Dean looked toward the bedroom door.

"She doesn't mind just sleeping with someone, I know that, and she knows us." He went back to pulling out the sofa bed.

"How do you know that?"

"Because she's slept with me before."

Sam rolled his eyes, "Why is that not surprising?"

"Just sleeping, Sam, she sang to me, don't make it into more than it is."

Sam sighed and set the bags down. Dean finished unfolding the mattress and looked at Sam. "What, did you have dibs or something?"

"If I had, would it matter?"

"Of course it would, Sam, you're my brother. If you like her, you can sleep with her, doesn't matter to me."

"What makes you think I want to?"

"You're seriously confusing me, I don't like it."

There was a pause, "Well, it's obvious one of us is going to have to sleep with her, because we are definitely not sleeping together."

"Agreed."

"The question is, which one?"

Sam bit his lip in thought and they exchanged glances. Dean snorted, "What?" Sam asked.

"I was just thinking that it shouldn't be you, unless, you know, we WANT her to die."

"Not cool, man."

"You can't deny it's the truth, Sam."

"You know Dean if you want her you should just come and say it, it's not going to hurt my feelings any."

"You saying that means that it would affect your feelings, so I'm not going to say whether or not I do, just to watch you squirm."

Sam rolled his eyes and turned away. Sera emerged from her bedroom in her pair of green pajamas and felt the tension in the room. "Everything okay?"

She looked between them, and then at the way Dean was looking at the sofa bed. "Oh, I see, this is about the sleeping arrangements." Sam turned back toward her, and she knew she had guessed right. "I'm guessing you guys were trying to figure out who would sleep with me and it turned into a territory battle. Ever consider just asking me?"

Their body language indicated they had not. "Right, okay, well this is easy, which of you has slept the least recently?"

They looked at each other, and as Sam raised his hand Dean pointed at him. "Well then, I guess that means it's you." She walked over and took his hand. "Come on, I'm tired and I don't want to get woken up whenever you decide to come lie down." Sam shrugged at Dean as he followed her into the bedroom.

After the door closed he hunted down the pillows and a blanket and crashed onto the sofa bed, cocooning himself in a quilt that had been folded across the back of the recliner.

On the other side of the door, Sam was really uncomfortable with the situation, and Sera refused to get into bed until he did. Finally she stepped forward and pulled his shirt out of his jeans. "You really need to calm down, Sam. This really isn't that big a deal."

"So I've been told, but excuse me if I'm just a little uncomfortable sleeping with you."

"What, am I not your type? Am I not attractive enough because I don't have fangs or claws and I won't let you drink my blood?" As she spoke she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

"Don't start. I've already been reminded of my track record once tonight I don't need it from you too."

He wondered why he didn't stop her when she moved her hands down to undo his belt and pull it off. She turned him around and pushed him down onto the bed. "Lie down." She said as a soft command that he had to follow. After he scooted back and laid his head on one of the pillows, she moved around to the other side of the bed and slid in under the covers. She turned toward Sam, laying her head on his chest and her arm across his abdomen, listening to his heart beat. "You know when you're this tense you make a terrible pillow."

His muscles relaxed, mostly because they had to. To him, this was just all too weird. He was sleeping with a very powerful angel. It wasn't the first time he'd been in bed with someone who could possibly kill him without a second thought, but it was the first time that it was this…platonic. When she started humming he felt the vibration of her larynx through his chest, it was the last thing he felt before drifting off to sleep.

When Sam woke up later that day, somewhere around ten in the morning, his face was buried in her hair, her back pressed up against him, his arm around her waist. She was cuddling it to her like a security blanket. Somehow they had both ended up under the covers, and Sam had to admit to himself that he was so comfortable he didn't want to move, so he just stayed where he was, only clutching her a little tighter.

The moment was ruined by someone knocking on the door. Sam was forced to move, which of course made Sera stir. All she did was flip herself over so she was facing him, which made him all the more reluctant to leave, but he managed to slip out of bed without waking her.

He opened the door and slipped out of the room. Dean was waiting just outside. He looked Sam over then shook himself, "There's a cop at the door asking for Sera…well, he used the name Jenny but it's definitely about her. Apparently someone saw us last night and called in, they've been looking for her since Monday."

"What did you say?"

"That we were her friends and she was sleeping. How is she, do you think she's up to this?"

"I don't know, she's been sleeping all morning but she still looks pretty beat. I'll go try and wake her up, go ahead and let him in." They turned away from each other and headed towards their tasks.

Sam knelt by the bed, putting his hand on Sera's shoulder and gently shaking her. She turned toward him lazily, blinking her eyes open, then rubbing them and blinking some more. "Morning," She said, and Sam smiled. "I hate to do this to you, Sera, but there's a cop here who wants to talk to you."

"I suppose we can't tell him to come back later."

"Don't think so."

She groaned and sat up, throwing the covers aside and turning to put her feet on the floor. Sam stood and put his hands out. She took them and he lifted her up. When he let her hands go she started trying to smooth her hair as she walked towards the open bedroom door. He followed her out, and when the dining area came into view Dean was already sitting at it with the cop and a pot of coffee was brewing on the counter.

The officer immediately stood. "Ms. Levy, I'm glad to see you're alright." Sera gave a weak smile, "Sorry I look a mess, but I figured you wouldn't want to wait for me to shower and get dressed and all."

"If you don't mind, I need you to come with me to the station so I can take your statement."

"Can't you just do a preliminary here or something? I'm so tired, and I'm really sore, I don't think I can handle all that noise right now."

"I'm sorry, but I was told that if you were here, I have to bring you in, and your friends."

"It's really not necessary. There's no crime here."

"There isn't?"

"No, I went down to my vacation house for the long weekend. I love the place, it's so isolated. There's no TV or phone service out there. Unfortunately, my car broke down and I got stranded out there. My friends here were supposed to use the house this week for a fishing trip. Lucky for me they came early and were able to bring me home. I would have called last night but I was just so exhausted I figured it could wait until I was conscious. I was planning to call as soon as I woke up."

Dean looked at the cop and then thought of something. "wait, you said someone called in last night, right?"

"Yes,"

"Then why are you just now here? Shouldn't you have come at like, four in the morning or something as soon as we got here?"

"There was a delay, and we considered this low priority, which apparently it is." He looked from Dean to Sera. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but you'll have to come with me."

"Of course," Sera said, making Sam look at her funny. Why was she giving in so easily when she had protested moments before? What had changed? Definitely the way she was looking at him. "I'm going to be a while, why don't you just come in and get comfy in the living room. I need to get washed up."

She turned and gave Sam a look that said "Get ready" as she passed him. The cop walked towards the living room, but as he passed over the rug he suddenly stopped midstep, as if he had hit a wall. Sam looked up at the ceiling, there was nothing, so Dean went over and pulled the rug from under him. There was a Devil's trap on the floor. Sera came back in, the demon knife in hand.

She was tossing and twirling it. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice that stench coming off of you, demon?"

"I was hoping the oil would cover it."

"No such luck. Hell is too strong to disguise. I can tell you aren't that powerful, though, so showing up here wasn't your idea. Who sent you?"

There was a pause, the cop laughed and looked away from her. "Who do you think, song bird?"

Sera's eyes widened. "Crowley."

Sam and Dean looked at her and said "What?"

Sera shook her head, "I don't know what it is about these guys that keeps making them think they can get info out of me." She handed the knife to Sam then took a step forward. "When you see him, you tell Crowley we need to talk. You tell him where I am and not to try anything funny or I will be forced to punish him, and he knows I can." Suddenly, her voice changed, became more…powerful."_We drive you from us, unclean spirit, satanic power, foreign invader, wicked soldier. Be gone, Demon, master of deceit, vacate this human form, stoop beneath the hands of my Father,"_

Sam had never heard an exorcism spell performed in English before, and was surprised to see that it was working. The demon was crumpled to the ground, struggling to stay attached to its meat suit. _"Tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible Name which causes hell to tremble. From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord. That Thy Children may serve Thee in peace and liberty, We beseech Thee to hear us."_

The man began to spew black smoke, with sank into the floor. Sera took a deep breath. She looked at the unconscious cop on the floor, then at the Winchesters. "I'm sure that you could explain all this to him? I was serious about needing a shower." Dean nodded, and she turned to go to her room to fetch some clothes.

They looked at each other, both of them suddenly realizing they could have been doing the ritual in English this whole time and feeling incredibly stupid. They got the man off the floor and laid him out on the couch. There was no telling how long he'd be out.

Sera came out and crossed the room to the bathroom, flicking the light on as she entered it. Sam took the opportunity to speak up before she closed the door. "Hey Sera, that spell that you did…can anyone do it in English or is that just an angel thing?"

She looked over and smiled, closing the door without answering. Sam gave an exasperated sigh and looked at his brother, who was staring at him. "What?"

"How'd you sleep?" He asked jokingly.

"Amazing, actually. Most concentrated rest I've gotten in a long time. It was like sleep times ten. You?"

"Average."

Sam realized he was still shirtless, then turned and walked into the bedroom to get his clothes.

By the time the cop woke up, all three of them had showered and changed. Sera was brushing her hair while sitting in the recliner while the brothers sat at the table drinking coffee and working on memorizing that spell. They all looked up when he moved and started to make noise. Sera walked over and helped him sit up and put her hand on his forehead, trying to ease his obvious headache a little. "What do you remember?"

"I got a call to go to check out a lead in a missing person's case." He looked up and realized who he was talking to. "Yours. Then, this weird black smoke came out of a grate and…then I couldn't control myself. Someone else was…"

"It's alright, its fine. You're alright now. Now, you have to go back to your boss and tell him what happened, which is this: nothing. No one was here, the lead didn't pan out, whatever you have to say to convince them. No one can know that we're here."

He looked up, "But…why?"

"Are you really going to question the person that saved just saved your life?"

He though for a moment then shook his head. "I thought not." She pulled him to his feet. "You should go now, before they miss you."

The cop shuffled forward, and Sam opened the door to let him through, shutting it behind him. "Well, that was tense," he said, before sitting back down. She turned to look at them both. "Whenever you guys are ready, you should go, don't forget to lock the door on your way out. I need to go."

"What, now?" Dean asked, and she nodded, "I need to start my search now, it might take a while and I don't know how much trouble I'll run into." She looked around and found the angel blade, putting it in the belt of her dress, then found her cell phone and stuck it down in her bra. "If I don't call you guys before midnight every night until you see me again, you might need to come find me. Keep the bracelets on all the time so that I can find you, okay?"

They nodded, and she smiled. "Next time you see me, I'll be in a brand new body. See ya around," She gave a short wave then vanished.

"There goes your girlfriend." Dean said, and Sam glared. "Don't start. She's not my girlfriend."

"Yeah, whatever man."


	6. Chapter 6

Sera was walking down a street, somewhere in New York, she wasn't sure where. It was somewhere seedy, and she had dressed so as not to look too wealthy or out of place so she didn't look like bait. Suddenly she stooped, feeling a familiar presence on the empty, dark street. She did a 180, and sure enough Crowley was there behind her, looking like a mob boss in his slick black suit.

"Hello," he said, giving a little wave. "Knew I'd find you eventually, but you sure are a slick one."

She smiled, careful to keep a hand on her angel blade. "Hello Crowley. You look good, royalty suits you."

"I think so, too. This is a nice vessel you've acquired," he said, gesturing towards her body. "Very deceiving."

"Yeah, well, don't get too used to her, I'm claiming a new one soon."

"Whatever for? Surely not on my account?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Crowley." She looked around, "Samyaza tracked me down. I don't know if he told any of the other Watchers what I look like or who my vessel is, so I have to move on now."

"Oh, I can guarantee you he didn't, otherwise I would have heard about it. The Watchers are closer to demons than angels these days, Seraphiel, they traffic more with my kind than you would think, and if they knew where you were all the alarms would be buzzing."

Sera relaxed a little. "Well, that's good news, at least. My life is a little less in danger than it was a minute ago."

Crowley took a step toward her and she took a step back. He laughed a little. "I'm not here to try and hurt you."

"Then why are you here? Why did you send that demon to try to take me and the Winchesters?"

"I should have chosen someone else, that pathetic bastard had no tact. I was merely requesting an audience, I just thought you wouldn't come if you knew it was me sending the invitation."

Sera gave him an incredulous look, like she didn't quite believe him. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Making a deal, what else? I want to extend the same treaty to you that I have to the Winchesters, keeping my subordinates off you. Soon as I heard you were working with them I knew you were back in the game, and I wanted to get a hold of you before something like this happened. Unfortunately, you are very tricky to track down."

"I do my best. Why would you want to do this?"

"If you're helping the Winchesters eradicate the Leviathans, we're on the same side, you and me. Demons don't stand a chance against them but you and those boys could take them all out with relative ease, I just want to clear the path for you."

"If that's truly your offer, I accept." She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a fighter, Crowley, you know that, but I can help them, and they need all the support they can get. Before we seal this I need you to add a clause to it."

"What's that?"

"That if I call on you, if we need your help, you bring your legions to the fight."

Crowley looked her over, pausing to consider this. "You know, after Castiel, I never thought I'd be working with an angel again, the stakes are just too high to handle."

"Are you refusing?"

"Of course not, I'm just saying it's surprising where death takes you." They stepped toward each other. "I accept your condition, as much trouble as it's going to cause me, it's better than nothing."

Sera nodded, then reached forward and took Crowley's lapels. She looked up at him, "If you make me regret this, I will destroy you."

"Keep talking like that and this won't end with a kiss, darling." He said, smiling. Sera smirked then pulled him toward her into a kiss. Crowley was reluctant to let her break it, the pure love and light that was flowing into him from it was like the ultimate high for a Demon, but she pushed him away. She rubbed her face where his beard had scratched her, "Tell my brothers Hi from me when you go to poke at their cage."

"Will do." He said with a satisfied grin on his face. With that, he vanished, and Sera was alone again. She turned back and continued heading in the direction she had originally planned, this time a little less afraid that someone was going to grab her from the shadows.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam sat looking at his phone, he looked up as Dean came out of the bathroom, the motel towel covered in black blood that had been on his face and arms moments before. He tried to hide what he had just been doing, but Dean was too perceptive for that. "Dude, it's not even sundown, relax. She's going to call."

Sam sighed, it had been more than twenty-four hours since Sera had checked in last, and he was getting kind of anxious. He set the phone on the table, and as soon as he let go it started buzzing. He picked it up to see who the call was from and the little letters spelled out "SERA."

He waited before picking it up, so as not to seem like he was waiting for it. "Sera?" He said, and a voice came over the line, one he did not recognize. "Hi Sam. How was the hunting?"

"Productive. You find your new vessel?"

"That obvious?"

"Your voice sounds completely different."

"Yeah, I know. She'll do though. Where are you guys?"

Sam relayed the city, motel and room number. He felt a shift in the air and turned. Suddenly Sera, in her new vessel, was standing behind him. She was blond now, and slightly older than she had been, with green eyes that had brown flecks in them. She was wearing a black dress with a lace overlay and emerald green high heels, Dean turned around to see why it was so quiet and his jaw dropped. He forced his mouth closed, cleared his throat and said, "Hey Sera."

"Hi Dean." She hung up her phone, since she was there, but it took a second for Sam to do the same. "So," she said, turning, in a circle so they could check her out, "What do you think?"

"I think you're going to have a hard time being inconspicuous."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

She took a few steps forward and then sat on the end of Sam's bed, crossing her legs. They all just kept looking at each other, each waiting for them to say something. Finally Sera broke the silence, "Well, I don't know about you guys but I feel like breaking this body in."

"What?" they said together, obviously hoping they had not understood her meaning. She laughed, "I mean, you know, going out. Dancing maybe, just anywhere with people. I need to get comfortable in this skin and the only way to do that is by throwing myself into the shark tank."

She looked between them. "Seriously, neither of you want to go out drinking with me?"

Dean and Sam looked at each other, then immediately grabbed their jackets. Dean put his hand out and Sera took it as she stood, smiling, they all walked out, locking the door behind them to lessen the risk of someone coming in and seeing all of the weapons they had laid out.

Sera convinced them to go to a karaoke bar, and they had never been more out of their element. Dean had to admit that whoever was DJing in between amateur performances wasn't that bad. They ordered whatever specialty shots the bartender claimed and Dean watched as Sera downed seven in a row faster than he had every seen anyone do shots before in his life.

He was unsure of whether or not he'd even be able to drink it, but he took a chance and tossed the drink back, swallowing the liquid before he had a chance to taste it, savoring the familiar burn in his throat. He turned the glass over then picked up another one and downed it. Sera watched him and smiled, "Getting yourself back a bit there, Dean?"

He nodded. She tapped his shoulder and casually pointed across the room. He followed her lead and saw a woman staring at him like she wanted to eat him alive. He turned back the way he was and took another shot. Sera leaned against the bar and just looked at him. He stood there for several seconds before looking at her, "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Maybe because there's easy game and you're not chasing it."

Dean's brows furrowed and he turned toward her, leaning against the bar. "You think that just because I'm unattached and have a little free time I'm going to jump the first bar skank that gives me bedroom eyes?"

Sam was sitting on a bar stool just behind Sera's back, pretending he wasn't hearing this. "It would follow your usual patterns of behavior, yes." Sera said. "There's nothing stopping you. She's pretty, you're single. Unless you're like, in love with someone else, what's stopping you?"

Dean looked uncomfortable then looked away, downing another shot. Sera's eyes got wide, "No," she said, disbelieving. "Who?"

Dean turned back to her. "No one…"

"No, there's someone getting in your way. Who?"

He looked at her, "I don't want to talk about this okay?"

"Well you're either going to talk about it with me or Sam's going to bring it up later."

Sam, in an effort to disguise his eavesdropping, had in this time struck up a conversation with the girl next to him who looked like she had just gone through a bad breakup and was trying to get as drunk as she could as fast as she could.

Dean looked over her shoulder at Sam, then beckoned her to lean in with his hand. She did, and he lowered his voice. "I'm not in love with anyone; I just don't trust people anymore." Sera leaned back a little. "Because of Cas?" She said quietly.

"Among other things." He took another shot. Sera looked concerned. "But…you trust me, don't you?"

His silence and lack of eye contact answered for him, and Sera looked hurt. Finally she just forced a sad smile, "Well, that's okay."

"It is?" Dean asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, my love and trust is like God's. It's all-encompassing and unconditional. It doesn't matter if you trust me, dean, I trust you, and I have to trust that will be enough."

She grabbed a shot and tossed it back. "You know what? I trust you so much, I'm going to tell you something that I actually considered keeping from you because I thought you'd be mad."

"What?"

"Crowley approached me, while I was vessel hunting. Offered to add me to the protection that he extended to you and Sam, but because I'm an angel, he needed some extra juice, since telling a Demon not to fight an angel is pretty hard to enforce."

"So…what did you do…sing to him or something?"

"No…we made a deal, I had to seal it."

"You kissed him?"

This made Sam perk up and turn around. "What?"

"Sera made a deal with Crowley and she kissed him."

"Good God is everyone I know going to make a deal? Dean, Bobby, Castiel and now you?"

"What exactly does this entail?"

"It means that Crowley will keep his demons out of the way. At least until I call on them."

"Call on them?"

"Yeah. Before I agreed I added in the condition that if I called on him on his legions to fight, he'd come. He's bound to it now. He didn't mind, seemed like he was itching for a possible reason to fight."

"What did you give him? I mean…angels don't really have souls, do they?"

"No, all I had to give up was some the boost he needed. Honestly, he tried to milk it for as much as he could, and there was SO much tongue, and I've never felt so dirty, but no, I won't have to burn in hell or whatever."

Dean squirmed. "That was a little more information than I needed…but I guess I should say thanks for telling me. At least I didn't find out from him."

"Yeah he'd be the type to kiss and tell, that's why I wanted to tell you first." They looked at each other, and Sam went back to chatting up the heartbroken girl when he saw they were having a moment.

"I'm glad…that you won't have to burn in hell, I mean."

"Well, at least you care that much."

"I never said I didn't care, Sera, I just said I didn't trust you. I did come to save you, after all."

"I thought that was just because I was valuable."

"Well, you are, but that wasn't the only reason."

Sera wasn't sure how to feel about this statement. She reached out and touched his hand, which he willingly accepted. She took her other hand and ran it through his hair, "Dean…" She said, looking into his eyes, "you need to find healthier places to place your affection." She pulled away from him, leaving him unsettled, because he had obviously been expecting her to kiss him or something. She turned and walked away, going to talk to the DJ. He watched as she took the song book from him and started flipping through it.

Dean let out an exasperated breath and smoothed the hair she had ruffled, lifting his head to take another look at the woman who had been staring him down before. She was still sneaking glances over. He took about three more shots, then decided to go over to her.

Sera got up on the stage and checked the microphone. "Check 1, 2. Johnny I'm getting some feedback…" Sam looked up when he heard her voice. The heartbroken girl, Emily, looked towards her with him. "Isn't that your friend?" She asked, he nodded. After she got the mic adjusted the music started, and Sam had to laugh as she began to dance and sing. "_Right, right, turn off the lights, we're gonna lose our minds tonight…"_

The mood in the bar lifted instantly, people started dancing, actually raising their glasses when the song called for it. Everyone sang along with her. Sam knew what she was doing but went along with it anyway. By the time the song was over, Sam couldn't find Dean anywhere. He had slipped off with the random bar skank.

When Sera was back at the bar with Sam, he introduced her to Emily, who no longer seemed quite so sad. Sera convinced her that singing karaoke was incredibly liberating, and she went up to try a song. While she was singing, Sera looked at Sam. "You don't look like you want to be here."

"You should know heavy drinking and public performance isn't really my thing."

"I do, but I like pulling people out of their boxes." She looked around. "You want to get out of here and go get milkshakes?"

"Can there be fries involved?"

"If you want." She reached into Sam's jacket pocket and pulled out the keys to the BMW. He hadn't even known they were in there. She put them in his hand. "Come on, let's go. We can listen to all the music Dean hates and not put his seat back after you adjust it."

About two hours later Sera and Sam stumbled their way back into the motel room, Sera still sucking on the last of her milkshake and trying to brush the grains of salt off her dress from the French fries. They were laughing. "That was fun; we should do it again sometime."

"Definitely," Sera responded. She set the Styrofoam cup on the table as Sam closed the door. Suddenly she started rubbing her temples. "You okay?" Sam asked, walking up and putting his arm around her. "Headache." She tucked herself into his chest and he held her tight. "I didn't know angels got headaches."

"Normally they don't, someone's trying to talk to me and it's not getting through." She looked up at him, her eyes were red-rimmed like she had been crying a long time or burst a couple of blood vessels. She closed them and put her fingers to her temples. Finally she started to pick up a few images and words, and when she opened her eyes again they were no longer full of pain.

"Something's happening…Leviathans…Castiel has seen something and he's trying to warn me."

"Do you have an address?" Sam asked, and she shook her head, "Not a specific one, just a city."

When Dean wandered in around two in the morning, Sam was kneeling in front of Sera at the end of his bed, handing her a glass of water and stroking her legs in that way guys do when they're trying to be comforting. Dean's hair was a mess and he looked like he had thrown on his clothes in a rush and was carrying his shoes.

Sera looked over at him, that sleepy/pained look in her eyes. "Have fun?"

"Are you okay?"

"I asked you something first."

"It was fun at first, but then her boyfriend came home, had to leave through the window and dodge bullets down the fire escape."

Sera started drinking from the glass and Sam looked up at Dean, "She got a call from Castiel, we need to head east."

"What, now?"

"Yeah, we were waiting for you to get back. The car's already packed up."

Sera finished downing the water. "You might want to get yourself in order first, though, and we're going to have to stop somewhere on the way so I can get a change of clothes, I can't fight in this dress."

Sam took the glass from her and took it over to the sink, and she stood and smoothed out her dress. Dean approached her, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, really."

"You don't look it."

"Well, looks can be deceiving." She looked up and into his eyes. "Castiel says it's almost time, whatever that means to you."

They just looked at each other until Sam said, "Dean?"

Dean came back to reality. "Yeah, I'm going." He broke his gaze from Sera and went over to his bed, sitting down to get his shoes on.


	8. Chapter 8

Dean couldn't hide the fact that he was nervous, despite his efforts. Sam could see he was tapping on the wheel and was twitchy as hell. Sera was sitting in the back seat, still looking like she was in a massive amount of pain but not saying anything about it.

Time. It was nearly time. Neither Sam nor Sera knew what that phrase meant to him. Or, if Sera knew, she was doing a good job of hiding it. She claimed that she hadn't known what Castiel's message was, but Dean never really quite believed her. The dream kept coming back to him nearly every time he slept or even just closed his eyes. It was a little something like this:

Dean was in the middle of one of his usual "good" dreams full of scantily clad women, when it shifted, and suddenly he was in that room again with the white walls and the gold leaf everywhere. He walked around and it was exactly the same as the first time he had been there, complete with the bucket full of ice and beer and the huge platter of cheeseburgers. He thought he was having a flashback, or some angel was trying to manipulate him again. He felt a change in the air and turned around, and sure enough Castiel was there, sans trench coat.

"Hello Dean," He said, and God how he had missed that voice. Dean wasn't sure what to do, what to say, and then it hit him. He glanced around, "Am I dreaming?"

Castiel nodded. "Why are we here?"

"It was easier to alter a memory than to build a new one."

"Why this one? Out of all of the things we've done together why choose this room?"

"This scene holds special meaning for me. It was here that you convinced me to go against my orders, to save the world. It is one of the few things I do not regret."

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, well, a lot of good it did."

"We accomplished what we set out to do, Dean, that should be what matters."

Dean looked up, Castiel's big blue eyes were full of sadness. He took a step forward, "You never gave me a chance to explain myself, Dean, about the thing that gave me away."

Dean looked confused for a moment, "You mean the whole Superman and Kryptonite thing?"

Castiel nodded. "I wasn't spying on you, not really. I was just watching. I was always watching, hidden from you. I was scared for you, and scared for myself that you'd find out the truth. In my mind I rationalized my decision by saying I was doing this for you and Sam, that I was keeping you safe from Raphael and his army, but now I know how wrong I was."

"Well, it's a little late for that, Cas. You should have thought about it before you opened Purgatory and let the Leviathans loose."

"You don't think I know that?"

"I know you do, Sera told me you do."

Castiel smiled, he actually smiled. Dean couldn't remember when he ever had. "Seraphiel. She begrudges her mission so much."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"She's a very good actress. Seraphiel despises me for what I did, but she will do whatever God tells her, despite her feelings. I would like to be more like her."

"I thought you said you didn't regret rebelling."

"I do not. I never truly rebelled against God here, I rebelled against Heaven, and God is not there. I rebelled against Zachariah and his mission to bring about Paradise on Earth. I rebelled against Michael and Raphael, but I was following my Father's plan for me."

"Were you following his plan when you popped Purgatory?"

"No, I was not. I was not listening for him when he tried to stop me because I believed him to be gone. Now I know better."

As they had been talking they had slowly advanced on each other. They were less than a foot away from each other now. Dean turned away, rubbing his eyes. "Because of what you did my entire life has been Hell. The Leviathans killed Bobby, they've ruined so much, so many lives. They committed crimes as us and now we can't go anywhere that has cameras on the off chance someone will capture us, do you know how hard that is in the age of camera phones?"

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. "I know, Dean, and I am trying to make amends."

"I can't trust anyone anymore because of you, Cas. I murdered an innocent woman who killed to save her son because I didn't trust Sam's judgment enough to let her go. I can't trust Sera now, even though she's been nothing but helpful, especially now that you just told me she hates you."

"You need to let me go, Dean."

"I thought you were coming back to us."

"I am, in time, and I have been told you will live for my return, and you will see me again, but you need to let me go. Let every attachment or feeling you have to me just slip away, because if you don't, the time will come when it will cost you your life."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I can't tell you, because I don't really know, it's just what I've been told. Knowledge of the future is Seraphiel's department."

Dean wasn't sure how to think or feel about this. He looked at Cas's arm, which was still extended because his hand was still on Dean's shoulder. "I don't think I can."

He looked back as Cas's face. He could tell the angel was serious. "Dean, you have to try."

He still hadn't. He had tried, sure, but he couldn't just forget all of the feelings he had toward Cas. All of the hatred, the guilt, the feelings of betrayal, and all of the inexplicable admiration he still held for him despite what he had done. Now he was probably driving towards his Death because he was such a damn girl.

Sera told him to pull into the parking lot of a store, telling them to stay in the car as she ran in and got some clothes. When she came back out she was shoving the dress into the bag her new clothes would have normally been in. Now she was in an outfit that reminded Dean of Lara Croft. When she got into the car she put her angel blade into a sheath in her belt, "That's better." She looked out the window, "I love these places. You always find great outfits."

Sam snorted, "Yeah, cos-play shops are great."

She leaned down to tighten up the laces on her boots as Dean started up the car and got back on the road.

"This isn't just a costume either; it's like, a real deal replica from the movie. These shorts are actually made of suede." She sat up, scooted forward and grabbed Sam's hand, rubbing it on them, "Here, feel."

Dean had to laugh at the look on Sam's face. After a minute he pulled his hand away. "Yeah, that's…nice" He said, obviously uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and avoided looking at her for a bit. They still had a long way to go, and Dean hoped that it wouldn't remain this awkward.


	9. Chapter 9

They drove over the limit into Troy, Vermont. It was a small town in the middle of a large chain of farming communities, essentially in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't much there, but it took Sera to point out that there was nothing there at all. No people, no animals, nothing, like everyone had just vanished. They parked on the street and got out. Looking around like they expected a bunch of Crotes to come barreling out of the buildings.

Dean popped the trunk and they all grabbed weapons and ammo. Sera delighted in filling her holsters and the machete sheath on her back. She investigated the bullets they gave her. "Black salt?"

"Some of them, others are filled with borax powder. Try not to mix them up, we don't want to shoot a Leviathan with black salt, it will just make it angry." Sera's brows furrowed as she shoved a clip full of black salt bullets into one of the guns she picked. "Why are we even bringing black salt?"

"There might be Watchers, you never know." He said, loading Borax shells into his sawed-off. Sam grabbed a chemical spray can, the demon knife, and his Machete. When they were all loaded up, Dean shut the trunk. "So, how are we doing this? Splitting up?"

"I don't think that's wise, we really don't know how many we're dealing with here, and one by itself is bad enough. We should stay as close together as we can." Was Sera's contribution.

"Agreed," said Sam.

Dean nodded, and they started walking down the main street, at least one weapon or nozzle in hand to defend them. Sera was taking several deep breaths like she was trying to maintain her calm.

"What's wrong?" asked Dean.

"It's just…it's been a long time since I've actually had to fight. Not since the time of the Fall, actually. I'm a Guardian, a nurse, a caregiver, not a foot soldier. Castiel would be better at this than me." There was a rustling noise that the boys hadn't even heard and Sera drew both her guns and shot at it once with each one. A man fell out from between two buildings. From the tattoo on his arm, the boys guessed he was a Watcher. She walked up to it and drove her angel blade through his heart. They had to cover their eyes from the light.

Dean blinked at her as she pulled the blade out and stuck it back in it's sheath, turning around. She looked up and saw their faces. "What?"

"What was that you were saying about being rusty or whatever?"

She blushed and shrugged, and then turned and continued on their path.

They wandered around the town for over an hour, but they didn't find or see anything besides the one Watcher. Finally Sera just stopped, causing Dean and Sam to stop short as well. She tilted her head like she was hearing something or sensing something they couldn't.

"They're close." She did a slow 360, and then settled on the church. She pointed at it. "There."

Dean started walking towards it but Sera put her arm out and stopped him. "I'll go through the front. You two take the back entrance. Try to be as quiet as you can." She looked at Dean before she lowered her arm. "I should say I'm sorry before this happens, so you know that if I could, I would stop it."

He didn't quite know what to think of that statement, but he followed her instructions. Sera didn't walk up to the front doors until they had enough time to get around back.

As she walked towards them they opened for her, and as she entered she beheld several Watchers and a very familiar face behind the pulpit. They seemed surprised by her entrance. She took the gun that held the black salt bullets out of its holster and the Angel Blade from its sheath.

"Seraphiel," A deep, unfortunately familiar voice said. "I thought you'd never come."

"You know me, I never miss a party."

"Yes, I do know you. Very well. As I recall, you were the one that dragged me into Purgatory."

"I'm surprised you recall that. I thought you were too busy struggling against me to see who I was."

"No, I saw you, in all of your beautiful glory. How you have fallen, this vessel hardly does you justice."

She looked at the Watchers, who were all seething, like they were waiting for the order to rush her. "How did you get them on your side?"

"That was not as hard as you might think. All I had to do was guarantee the protection of their favorite humans. The rest just fell into place."

"Hardly like you to give up some of your favorite snack food."

"I can deal." Those beautiful blue eyes looked at them all. "You know what I have to do, Seraphiel."

"Better than you do, Leviathan."

She braced herself, and within moments the bullets were flying and her blade was penetrating the hearts of her attackers.

Sam and Dean came out of the back rooms of the church, having fought off the Leviathans that had been in the Fellowship Hall feasting on the townspeople. What they found when they entered the sanctuary was not what they expected.

The Leviathan was holding Seraphiel by a blackberry vine wrapped around her neck. The thorns cut into her skin and her shirt was now stained by the trickling blood and the blood of the Watchers, who were all dead on the floor. The Angel blade was plunged into a pew and her gun had been kicked away into a corner. But Sam and Dean didn't notice any of this, they just noticed the man in the black suit with the familiar face. It was Castiel.

Actually, it was the largest, meanest and hungriest of the Leviathans using Castiel's old vessel. Sam aimed at him but Dean was too taken aback to move. "Hello Dean," The Leviathan said, in Castiel's deep, soothing voice. Sera gasped for air. She tried to jerk out of the way so Sam could shoot him but The Leviathan held her in the perfect place to be used as a shield.

Sera had been fearing this. Sam cared too much for Sera to shoot through her, and Dean cared too much for Cas to try shooting the Leviathan even if he got a shot. She was trapped.


	10. Chapter 10

"Let her go," said Sam, the gun pointed at The Leviathan's head.

"Or what?" the creature asked as he pulled the double-wrapped vine tighter around Sera's throat. "I think I'll just eat her. Never had an angel before, wonder how that much innocence and purity tastes." He leaned his head down and licked a fresh drop of blood from her clavicle to the source, making Seraphiel shudder in revulsion. The Leviathan smacked his lips. "Mmm, yummy."

"Cas…" Dean said.

"I told you once before, Dean, Cas is gone. He's dead. Get over it. Move on. Find some other Servant of the Lord to crush on."

Sera tried to speak but couldn't, as she could barely get enough air to stay conscious. Sam seemed to understand what she was trying to tell them. "Dean, it's not him, that thing's a monster."

Dean raised his weapon, but it seemed half-hearted. Sera struggled and The Leviathan bit her and she managed to give an agonized moan. The wound turned black and started to smoke. Sam and Dean had never seen anyone just bitten by a Leviathan before, but Death himself had called them poisonous. From the way the wound looked they guessed it was to be taken literally.

"Now, if you boys will excuse me, I'm late for a very important appointment, and my lovely little song bird here is going to take me there."

"Why do you need her?"

"What, you think I'm just going to tell you my grand plan? Spill all of the juicy details so you have every single piece of information you'd need to thwart me? Good luck with that."

He started to back down the aisle, dragging Sera with him. Sam saw a chance and he took it, shooting the Leviathan in the shoulder when he exposed it trying to get Sera to cooperate. The monster screamed as the smoke rose from the wound, and he slacked just enough for Sera to pull herself free of his grip. As soon as she was far enough away to think about it, she unwrapped the vine from around her neck. The Leviathan was going after her again, his jaw opening to reveal it's true mouth, but this time Dean shot it in the heart and it fell to the ground.

Sera turned around, watching as the black ooze spilled from him. Sam pulled out his machete and approached it to behead him. Sera moved in front of him. "No, Sam, don't."

"Why not?"

"We need to know what his plan is, because even if we kill him it will remain in motion. These Leviathans will stop at nothing to get to their ultimate goal, losing their leader won't stop them, it will just make them angrier."

Sam had to admit she was right. "Go get my bag out of the car, I need you to treat this bite. I'll stay here with Dean and we'll tie him up. I'll do a spell that will lessen his strength and we'll work on him until he talks."

She looked at Dean, who was staring at the suffering Leviathan. She called his name three times before he looked up. "Can you handle this?"

He nodded and got to work as Sam left the church, on guard for any more Leviathans or Watchers on the way back to the car.

When the Leviathan came to he was bound to a chair. When he opened his eyes he saw Sam and Sera sitting next to the pulpit, Sam was bandaging her up, but it didn't look good. It was soaked with black, not red, and dark circles were developing under her eyes and the color was going out of her skin. It had only been an hour since she received the bite and already it seemed to be killing her.

Dean was standing by with a chemical spray can, and when the Leviathan looked at him, he laughed. "You? You're going to torture me? Oh, this is just too much."

Sera lifted her heavy eyes to look at him. "Dean has the most experience out of all of us with interrogation. He's the best man for the job."

The Leviathan kept his eyes on Dean. "Oh, yes, I remember now. That time you spent in Hell that I saved you from."

"That wasn't you." He said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but I remember it. It's all in my head, along with all the rest of Castiel's memories. Every word, every look, every little scrap of knowledge is in me. I can still feel him in here, the shadow of him, screaming."

"You're lying."

"Oh, am I?" The Leviathan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he looked and sounded just like Cas. "For what it's worth, I would give anything not to have you do this."

Dean stepped away. "That's what I said to you the last time you had to torture someone for information to save the world, was it not?"

Sam looked at his brother. "Dean, it's just a trick. It's not him, alright?"

Dean nodded and then went back to his place, pressing a button and spraying the Leviathan down with Borax solution. The monster yelled as the liquid burned through his skin and black blood oozed out of him onto the floor.

"Why do you need Seraphiel?"

"Go back to hell, Winchester."

Dean sprayed him again. Sam and Sera just watched as the skin melted off him, and then healed again.

"That spell Sera put you under lasts for three days, we have enough to keep this going that long, unless you want to just give it up now and save yourself the agony."

The Leviathan looked up, but he appeared to be 100% Castiel. His eyes, his flat facial expression, the change in the cadence and tone of his voice.

"Dean, stop."

He froze. "Don't do this. I know you don't want to, it's her. She's making you." He looked at Sera and Dean did the same. "Look at her, the poison's in her Dean. She's dying, changing. She's becoming one of them."

Sera was scared, Sam got off his feet and grabbed one of the bottles, twisting off the cap and throwing it on The Leviathan, watching his skin melt and hearing his screams again. The chair and the floor beneath him were covered in skin and black goo now. Dean walked over and pushed Sam back, like he had done something wrong.

"Dean, what the hell has gotten into you? Just because he has Castiel's face doesn't mean he's in there. Sera told you he's somewhere else now."

The Leviathan spoke. "Oh, yes, let's just all believe everything the pretty angel tells us, because that's worked out SO well in the past."

Sam looked over Dean at the Leviathan, "Shut up."

"But I thought you wanted me to talk?"

Suddenly, there was a loud _thunk_. Sam turned to see the Sera had completely passed out and fallen back from her seated position to the floor. He rushed over to help her. Dean kept his back turned to the Leviathan, not wanting to give him an opportunity to manipulate him again. He just couldn't get past it, how torturing the Leviathan felt like he was hurting Cas again. He walked over to Sam, who had Sera in his arms and was trying to wake her up. "I got her. You go interrogate him."

Sam looked at his brother, "But-"

"Yeah, I know, but I can't. I can't do this again, I've already lost him once. I'll take her out, you try to see if you can get anything out of him and if he doesn't break, chop his head off and burn the church down."

He set the can down and took Sera, picking her up and carrying her out of the church. Sam got up and stepped toward the Leviathan. It looked up out of the top of those big blue eyes. "Sam…please"

"You can't fool me. I know what you are." He said flatly before spraying the monster down again. Outside, Dean tried not to listen to the screams.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean was near the car when Sera's eyes opened. "Dean," She said sleepily. He adjusted her. "It's alright, I've got you."

"No," she protested. "You need…to kill me."

"What?"

"It's fine, I'm okay with it, but you need to kill me now, while there's still time."

"No, I won't do it." He stopped at the car and pulled the door to the back seat open with his foot, putting her in. She sat up. "Dean, you have to."

"Why?"

"I can feel it, it's in me. The poison is burning through my veins and the longer you wait the harder it will be."

Dean looked at her, saw the sadness, pain and pleading in her eyes. He could see the veins around the bandaging were outlined in black like some sick sort of road map. But he couldn't do it. He wouldn't. He'd lost everyone already. Everyone but Sam, and he couldn't stand to lose anyone else. Not only did he not want to lose Sera, but she was his last remaining link to Castiel. The real one. If she died, it would be like losing him all over again. He couldn't take it. Dean looked away from her, gritted his teeth and forced out a very firm "No."

Sera's eyes watered, tears slowly dripping down her face because she just couldn't hold them in. Suddenly she cried out and her face fell into her hands. Dean kneeled down, "What is it?"

After a minute she raised her head. "It's a message. One final message before it's too late."

She leaned on Dean, grabbing his collar and trying to gain strength.

Sam paced in front of the Leviathan as he healed again. He may have looked like Castiel, but Sam could see the evil in him. Dean just couldn't get passed the parlor tricks.

"I wasn't lying, you know," The Leviathan said, and Sam stopped pacing. "About what?"

"Seraphiel. Our poison is in her, she's dying."

"Dean will find something."

"That poison will eat through her system, consume her down to her soul. There's no antidote. There's no stopping it. She's going to become ravenous like us, only she has all the powers of an angel and knows where to find God, and you just let your brother carry her out the door."

Sam looked worried for a second, and then had a flash of understanding. "That's it, isn't it? You were going to use her to find God, or Metatron. You want to control the future."

"I'm not going to tell you anything, Sam. You might as well kill me now while your brother still has a fighting chance."

Sam took his cell phone out and called Dean's. It rang and rang, and then went to voicemail. He looked at the Leviathan, who had a pleased look on his face like he had won some great victory. Sam upended the industrial bottle of borax over him, then took his machete and sliced off the creature's head. He looked around. There was only one thing to do now.

Sam ran from the burning church to where they had parked, knowing that's where Dean would have taken her. He didn't see anything at first, the open back door blocking his view, but he soon was able to see Sera was definitely not in the car. When he got there, he didn't see Dean either until he circled around the back, where his brother was unconscious on the ground with a bite in his neck.

Sam dropped down, inspecting the bite. It wasn't bleeding, just incredibly raw, the worst her had was a minor concussion, but he didn't want to take any chances. He lifted him up and got him in the car, taking the keys from his pocket and getting into the driver's seat, heading as fast as he could go to the nearest hospital he could find.

Sera was somewhere in Wyoming. She had just vanished to the nearest place she thought of to get away. She hadn't wanted to hurt Dean, not in the least, but she had. She could still taste his blood in her mouth and when she licked her lips, and it tasted good.

She knew she had to die, before she changed into something else, before she joined the Leviathan's collective consciousness and she ruined everything, so she did what she could, she sang. The words were all in Enochian, it was a summoning prayer to whoever would listen. Suddenly a man appeared before her, and she collapsed to her knees.

"Please, destroy me. The Leviathan's poison has corrupted me; I cannot be allowed to live to let it change me. They will find our Father, and the Scrolls, they will enter Heaven and consume every human soul." She was crying as she felt the black blood burn through her veins like acid.

She looked up, and her brother approached her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and then wiped the hair out of her face. She smiled, closing her eyes to prepare for what was to come.


	12. Chapter 12

Dean woke up before they reached a hospital, so now they were in some abandoned farmhouse. They were each drinking a beer and Dean was sitting in a chair with a bandana pressed to his neck while Sam paced. "I still think we should take you to a doctor."

"And risk getting caught on tape or recognized? Not likely." He took another drink, glad that he was able to actually drink beer again without gagging.

"Did she say anything to you before she…you know…attacked you?"

Dean looked uncomfortable, and put on that face he used when he was trying to hide something that Sam never seemed to notice. "No, she was asleep, and then she woke up, said she had a message for me, had me lean in, and then she bit me and I passed out."

"The Leviathan said she was changing. I guess we're lucky she bit you before she became venomous."

"Yeah I guess." Dean said, and then looked down at his wrist. The peridot stone wedged into the piece of bone caught the light, igniting all of the gold tones and making it shimmer. He wondered where Sera was, what she was doing, how he could get to her. There had to be something he could do to get her back, anything. There had to be some cure. God wouldn't leave them totally without hope.

Dean couldn't believe that thought had actually crossed his mind. He closed his eyes, praying silently to Castiel, God, Sera, anyone and everyone he could think of.

Suddenly he felt a shift in the air and looked up, but Sam had just opened a door to a room that had an open window. His heart sank. This was his fault. He could have taken the Leviathan out before he bit Sera, but he froze. Sera warned him this would happen, she begged him to kill her, but he couldn't and she bit him. Cas had been right. He needed to let him go or he was going to die, or get Sam killed, or someone else.

He looked around to make sure Sam wasn't watching, and then kicked in a cabinet. Sam came in a moment later and Dean turned around and stood in front of it to cover up what he had done.

"What was that noise?"

"What noise?"

"Sounded like someone snapping a piece of wood or something."

"Well, I didn't hear anything."

Sam gave him an incredulous look, and then went back into the room he had just come out of. Dean took a drink and then went to go find his own room to hide in.

Sera blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the massive amount of light. Her human eyes were not conditioned to divine light any more. She looked around and as her eyes adjusted a scene formed. She recognized it as her favorite little corner of heaven. It belonged to a girl who had been murdered at the age of ten. She had an Alice in Wonderland obsession and so her personal heaven was an innocent, beautiful, musical version of Wonderland. Everything, even the plants, talked in rhymes and sang beautiful songs. She realized she was lying down and sat up, rubbing her head. Why was she in Heaven? She should have just…ended, or gone to Purgatory. Why was she still alive?

She got off the ground and brushed off her clothes. She was still in the Lara Croft costume, only it was clean now, and she didn't have any weapons. Sera turned around, and then realized she was on a path. She followed it, carefully moving large blades of grass and things out of the way but not in a way that would offend them. She heard a rustling, and voices, and she followed them. Sera moved some blades of grass aside and came upon Castiel and the girl, Alice. Alice was talking to a flower, and Castiel was standing by helping her along.

Sera cleared her throat and they both looked at her. Castiel's face lit up, "Seraphiel." Alice looked up at him and pointed at Sera. "Is that the friend you were looking for?" He looked down and nodded. "Well, you found her."

Seraphiel couldn't help but smile at the girl. She looked at Cas and couldn't think of what to say, so she rushed him and nearly crushed him in a hug. He picked her up and spun her around. After she was back on her feet she backed away. "I thought you hated me," he said.

"What gave you that impression?"

"Maybe the fact that you told me that if it wasn't for our Father's orders, you would have killed me yourself?"

Sera scoffed, "Pfft, that was then, this is now."

"What's changed?"

"I spent some time with the Winchesters, nearly died a couple of times, lost my will and ended up biting your boyfriend. Changes your perspective on life and decision-making a bit. Plus carrying all of those warm-fuzzy messages back and forth can only keep a girl hating you for so long."

Castiel blinked, "I only understood half of that."

"Figures. Do you know why I'm here? I mean…did I die or get healed or what?"

"I am sorry to say I have no information that could help you."

"Well, I'm still in the form of my vessel. That has to mean something."

"Indeed."

The little girl standing by got bored and wandered off. Sera looked around. "Why aren't there more angels around? Shouldn't they have ganged up on us by now?"

"Perhaps someone is keeping knowledge of our presence from them."

There was a moment of silence as Sera theorized. Castiel broke her train of thought. "I am assuming that since you are here and asking if you are dead, Dean did not heed my warning."

"Your assumption would be correct. He froze, he hesitated, and because he did so The Leviathan that was using your vessel bit me."

"I am sorry."

"You say that enough and it's going to lose its meaning, Cas."

There was a pause as he looked at her like she had lost her mind. "The Winchesters have changed you."

"More than you could know."

The imaginary sun glowed brighter and engulfed them, then retracted again. "Someone has noticed us," Castiel said, looking up at the sky. "You should go. They need you, Seraphiel."

Sera looked at him, "You could come back too. They have destroyed The Leviathan by now; your vessel could be reconstructed. It has been done before."

"It is not time for that, yet, you know that better than anyone."

"That doesn't mean I'm not hopeful." There was a long silence as they looked at each other, and then she stepped forward and embraced him again. She held on a little longer than she should have. "I'll see you soon, Castiel."

And with that, she vanished from his arms. Castiel looked around, as if expecting to see her, and then left the scene himself before any angels with bright ideas arrived.

Dean was sleeping on a bare mattress in one of the bedrooms, if you could call it sleeping. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing, but his brain just wouldn't turn off. Perhaps that is why he jerked up so quickly when he felt the bed sink under the pressure of a new occupant. He had a blade drawn before he could even see who it was. Sera grabbed his arm and put her hand over his mouth, shushing him. He instantly fell silent.

He looked at her shoulder, where there was no wound or scar. He looked into her eyes and relaxed. Somehow, it was her. Seeing that he was fine, Sera let him go. He tried to ask her questions but couldn't speak. "Oh, sorry," she whispered, and touched his throat.

"What happened? How are you here?"

"One does not question the workings of God, Dean."

"Yeah, right."

"Fine then, I don't. The point is I'm back, non-Leviathan, and Castiel says hi."

Dean looked her over. "Sam's not going to believe this."

"Yeah, just wait, I'm going to wait and let him find out when he walks out in the morning and I've got donuts and coffee."

"He's going to have a heart attack," He said as he chuckled, making Sera giggle, then she put her finger over her lips so he'd be quiet. "Are you guys alright?"

Dean nodded. "Good. Now, I think we need to talk, don't you?"

He tried to act like he didn't know what she was talking about. "I know what Castiel's warning was, now. He told me, or at least implied it enough that I understood. He told you to let him go, and you didn't, and it nearly ruined everything. I could change you, put it all behind a wall, but I know you wouldn't let me if I asked you and I won't do anything to you against your will."

"I'm sorry I nearly got you killed."

"Well considering before that you saved my life I'd say we're pretty even on that front."

"I wouldn't."

"Of course you wouldn't. You're Captain Guilt-trip. You apologize and feel guilty for so much you're practically Canadian."

She reached out and took the hand that was holding her blade and plucked it from him. "You can rest now, I'll protect you." He smiled. "You're going to watch over me while I sleep?"

"Well, someone has to be your Guardian Angel while Castiel is indisposed."

"You're prettier than the last one." Dean groaned as he laid back.

"You can lie to yourself all day Dean, but don't lie to me." She laid down on her side, clutching her angel blade to her chest. He turned on his side and put his arms around her. She smiled, "Dean, I'm not going to have sex with you."

"I know that."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"It's the costume. I've got a thing for Angelina Jolie."


	13. Chapter 13

Sam got out of bed, wondering how he was going to deal with this. They had lost so much, and now they had lost Sera, too, just when they were really getting used to the idea of having her around. They might even have to go kill her, if she hadn't gained enough mental faculties to destroy herself or call on someone who could. He wandered around, looking for where he left his shirt and began to put it on, pausing as he pulled it over his head from a sound coming from the other room.

Was that…laughter? No, it couldn't be. He finished putting his shirt on and listened, and a few seconds later it happened again. Laughing. Dean was laughing. He walked out into the main room and saw Dean leaning against a wall drinking from one of those paper coffee cups, a donut in his other hand. He walked out farther and looked where Dean's eyes were focused, and Sera was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking her own coffee, an open box of donuts in front of her. Dean looked up and noticed him.

"Morning Sammy." Sera turned so she could see him and smiled. She set the cup down and stood up.

Sam took a cautious step further into the room. "Am I dreaming?"

Dean and Sera looked at each other and shared a smile, then Sera turned back to Sam and shook her head. They rushed each other, Sam smothering her with a hug. After several moments he let her go and pushed her away, keeping a tight grip on her shoulders and looking her over like he'd never seen a miracle done before. "But…how…what…" Finally he gave up on trying to decided on a question and hugged her again.

She was the one to push him off this time because she was suffocating in his chest. "Come on, sit down, have some coffee or a donut or something, I'll tell you what I know."

"So after the angel…" Sam paused trying to remember the name.

"Calliel." Sera supplemented.

"Right, Calliel, executed you, you woke up in heaven?" He asked, taking a drink of his latte.

"Right. In Wonderland. Took me a minute to get my bearings, I wasn't used to Divine light anymore and it kind of hurt my eyes. Didn't realize where I was until I heard the music."

Dean was just standing where he had been, drinking his coffee, he had heard this all already. "After that I started wandering, trying to find someone who could tell me why I was there, what had happened, then I ran into Castiel."

"Cas is in Heaven again?"

"He seemed just as surprised as I was to be there. We wondered why the other angels weren't swarming us. You know, for revenge or information or whatever. We talked for a minute until we got a warning signal that they had found out we were there, then he touched me and sent me back to Earth. All healed, no Leviathan corruption. There wasn't anything about me being bit or dying in the history I remember, but it's possible it just wasn't important enough to record."

"It was important to us," Sam said, which made Sera smile.

"The important thing that came from this is now we know what they're after. Sort of, anyway. After they take out Earth they plan to enter Heaven and devour the angels, but they can't get there without me. So pretty much all we have to do is make sure I don't get bitten again."

"Why does it have to be you? Why can't it be just any angel?"

"Because not every angel has the juice to get them there. Do you know how hard it is to get someone physically into Heaven? It takes a lot of energy. They thought that they'd be able to control Castiel when they were in him but he fought them so hard they couldn't gain full control for more than a few minutes. Then after he returned the souls he was useless to them except as a vessel."

They were all a little uncomfortable with talking about Cas like that. Sam took another drink and then leaned onto the table. "So, what, you just showed up this morning with donuts and coffee?"

"Actually I got here last night, really late. You were asleep so I told Dean first. When he felt me sit on his bed he tried to stab me, it was cute."

Sam glanced at Dean like he had done something wrong. Dean stopped in the middle of taking a sip to say, "What? Not my fault you passed out."

Sera looked between them. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Sam said, but his expression left a very clear message. He was tired of the angels playing favorites with Dean and he thought it was happening again. Sera plucked a donut out of the box and bit into it, trying to make the silence a little less awkward by using eating as an excuse.

Dean walked in to the room he had been using, mostly to see if he had left anything behind, only to find Sera in just a pair of black panties. Her back was to the door, but when she heard him come in she covered her chest and turned. "Hey," she said, like nothing was up. She walked over to the bed and picked up her dress, turning her back to him as she stepped into it and pulled it up.

"Are we almost ready to go?" She asked, but he didn't answer. She turned to look at him and he was looking away. "You can turn around now, I'm mostly decent."

"Sorry," he said as he turned to face her.

"It's fine, Dean. It's just skin."

_Really nice skin,_ he thought to himself. He shook himself back into consciousness. "Yeah, car's loaded up; we're just waiting for you."

"Sorry, all of those straps and holsters were tricky to get off." She turned her back to him, "Can you zip me up?"

Dean took a cautious step forward and slowly zipped up the back of her dress. She immediately bent down to pick up her other clothes, shoving them into her bag. Dean, for the sake of his own sanity, took a few steps back. "So…I'll just go…start it up…" He cleared his throat and immediately turn and ran. Sera smiled as she stood and turned. She slung the strap from her bag over her shoulder and stepped into her shoes, walking out of the room.

"Don't ever get tired of listening to the same songs over and over?" Sera asked, leaning forward between the two front seats because apparently angels don't need seat belts.

"I do," Sam said, "but it's the only music Dean will listen to, and since he drives most of the time it's his call what we listen to."

"Well, I'm tired of listening to Zeppelin. Honestly, I was sick of it before you started. I never really got along well with them."

Dean's eyes got big, "You've met them?"

"Met them? Honey I basically made them. I'm the Angel of Song and you think I don't know Zeppelin?"

She leaned back a bit and ran her fingers through her hair. "If you don't find something else to put it on I will."

Dean opened the CD compartment and pulled out a random one. He handed it to Sam and Sam switched out the discs. She smiled as Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want" began to play over the speakers. Dean obviously wanted to change it but he couldn't, for fear of what Sera might change it to if he did. She sang along, and after a couple of seconds Dean did too, causing Sam to look at him like he had lost his marbles, and then Sam started singing too. They had no idea what the hell was going on but Sera was enjoying herself making them do it. By the end they were all enthusiastically screaming the lyrics.

"_I am everything you want,_

_I am everything you need,_

_I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be,_

_I say all the right things_

_At exactly the right time, _

_But I mean nothing to you and you don't know why!"_


	14. Chapter 14

Castiel paced the room, wondering how long he was going to have to wait. He had been told that they would be here, in this very room. Finally he stopped as he heard someone unlocking the door, he took a deep breath, waiting expectantly. He had gone over this in his head, what he would say, what he would do, but he couldn't think of anything now. Sam walked into the motel room, and Dean was soon behind him. They dropped their bags on their beds, Cas had to move out of the way as Dean nearly walked into him. He called his name and Dean stopped, looking back over his shoulder, then shaking off whatever feeling he was having and continued on his way.

Sera walked in and suddenly stopped in the door when she saw him. She looked at Sam, who was unpacking a bit, and then at Dean. She assumed neither of them could see him. She looked at Cas. He looked hurt and confused, and she wanted to say something but she didn't know if she should. Sam seemed to notice that she was just standing there and stopped what he was doing.

"Sera?" He said, and successfully got his attention.

"Yeah?"

"You alright?"

She plastered on a smile, "Fine." She walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She set her bag on the table, Castiel walked up to her. "Seraphiel," She glanced over at him, trying not to be too obvious about it as she pretended to open her bag and look for something.

"They can't see me. Why can't they see me?" She wanted to answer him, but didn't want to draw any attention, so she turned and walked out, beckoning Cas to follow her. When they were outside she turned to him. "I don't know. I mean…" She reached out and touched him. "You're solid, at least to me. Are you sure that you're not hiding yourself? Even…I don't know, subconsciously?"

"I am not." He looked down at himself and then at Sera. "Do you think it's just them who can't see me, or is it all humans?"

"We're about to find out," Sera said, moving to the side as a young man walked across the pavement and kept walking…straight through Castiel. After he had walked out of earshot she looked back at Cas. "I guess that answers that question."

"This is most unfortunate."

"I thought when he sent you back it would be…you know…whole. What's all this about?"

"I don't know, but we have to fix it."

"Yeah, and soon."

The door opened and Dean poked his head out. Sera tried to act like she wasn't talking to someone who wasn't there. "You alright?" He asked.

"No!" said Cas, but Sera smiled. "Fine, just needed a little fresh air."

Dean looked suspiciously at her, but then retreated back into the room.

"There's only one thing I could think to do, but it's not safe until after we get this job done, they could be laid up for days."

"Seraphiel, you can't. It could kill them…or start giving them visions, or powers…Sam can't handle that kind of…"  
>"Trust me; I'm well aware of his addictive nature. Just Dean then. He's strong, he can take it. He'd do anything to see you again, Cas, he won't care how much it hurts."<p>

Castiel looked as if he was warring with himself. Half of him wanted to protest, to protect Dean, but the other half wanted her to do what she had to do to let them see each other. Sera saw this, and then saw him decide. He didn't have to say what it was, she could see it in his face. "That's what I thought. Are you going to stick around or go somewhere until I call you?"

"I might as well stay. I might be able to help."

Sera was sitting at the table at Sam's laptop, searching the news articles. Sam was cleaning the weapons and packing different rounds on her left, Castiel was seated at her right. Dean was on his bed, taking off his boots. He got up and went over to the fridge to get a beer, then came over and pulled the chair on Sera's right out to sit down, out from under Cas. He fell to the floor with a loud _thunk_ that neither of the boys heard, causing Sera to nearly split her sides trying to hold in her laughter, which made Dean stop and look at her.

She got it under control and looked up at him as Cas was getting off the floor. Sera stopped laughing when she saw Castiel's face. He was glaring at her. She cleared her throat and went back to her web search. Dean sat down. "Found anything yet?"

"Nothing unusual, unfortunately."

"Why did you tell us to come here again?"

"I told you, I got a message. Very, very few people know how to send me a message so when I get one I take it seriously."

"Do you know who?"

"Do I need to?"

"It'd be helpful."

"It could have been anyone," said Castiel. "Since they sensed you in even every angel has been singing for you. Any one of them could have gotten through, this could be a trap."

Sera gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I'll try to track it."

Castiel was standing behind her now, having paced around the table. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, focusing on the message she had received before. She tried to follow it back to its source. There was a shift in the air and a voice said, "You called?"

Sera's head jerked up and the boys looked away from her to the other side of the room. It was Crowley. "Well, isn't this a pretty picture." He said, looking straight at Castiel. Sera saw that the boys were looking away from her so she tried to signal Crowley not to say anything about Cas because they couldn't see him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sam.

"Your angel friend just called me. Are we going to war?"

"Not quite yet," Castiel said. Crowley smirked.

"You were the one who told me to come here?"

"I was."

"Why? There doesn't seem to be much going on."

"Well, the things I'm hearing about aren't exactly news-worthy. There's a witch here. She's got one of my men under her thumb and I need you to get him out."

Dean was disbelieving, "You want us to save one of your demons?"

"I'm keeping them out of your way, aren't I? I'm doing it free of charge, too."

"You charged Sera."

"That's because she's an angel. Granting an angel protection is a lot harder."

There was a long, tense silence, the looks on all of their faces conveying mistrust. "If it's just a witch why don't you take care of it yourself?"

"Did you now hear me? She can control demons. Are any of you demons? No."

Castiel leaned down to whisper in Sera's ear. "I don't trust him."

Sera turned to him with a look that said "Seriously?" Because she couldn't believe Cas had the nerve to say that. She knew what Crowley was, but in his dealings with her and Cas he had never lied to them, betrayed them, or withheld anything from them. Cas was the one who kept changing his mind and trying to renegotiate. She looked back at Crowley. "We'll do it."

All three of her companions looked at her and said "What?" simultaneously.

"Look, it's just a witch. We could probably hunt her down and take her out in a day, it's not that big a deal. Crowley's helping us…in his way…and we need to hold up our end."

"Can I just state for the record that I don't like this?" Dean said.

"I second that opinion," Cas said, and she fought the urge to turn around and tell him off.

"No one likes it, but it's the way life is now, deal with it." She looked at Crowley, who had that look on his face again. "It was nice seeing you, Crowley. Don't be a stranger."

He smirked, waved, and vanished. Sera got up and went to the fridge, taking out one of her bottles of root beer. When she turned around they were all staring at her. "What?"

"Don't be a stranger?"

"Nice to see you?"

"I can't believe you're cooperating with him," said Cas.

"All of you just shut up," she said, putting her hands up. The statement got her weird looks from the boys so she tried to amend it. "I mean…uh…both of you. Look, I know how this seems but it's not as bad as you think."

"You sound like Cas did when he was conspiring with that total dick."

Cas looked at Dean, with a rather hurt expression, and while Sera thought he deserved it, those big blue eyes were breaking her heart. "I'm not conspiring with anyone. Honestly, what are we doing right now besides waiting for signs of Leviathans? Are you telling me you're not just itching to do a little good old-fashioned ass kicking?"

"Not if it means rescuing a demon."

"It wouldn't be the first time. You went back to get Meg once when you didn't really have to."

"That was different, we had a common cause."

"And you don't have a common cause with Crowley right now? He wants the Leviathans dead just as much as you do. They think even worse of demons than Lucifer did, and above all else Crowley believes in self-preservation."

Cas sat down in her chair, which meant she couldn't sit back down in her place, so she walked over, picked up the laptop (which looked really weird because she was trying to avoid touching someone that the boys couldn't see), and moved over to Sam's bed. For some reason, she didn't want to seem too intimate with Dean while she knew Cas was watching.

Dean started helping Sam pack rounds and Castiel sat watching them. Sera tried not to look over at them too much as she continued her research.

Sera was in the bathroom, washing the witch's blood off of her hands. They hadn't wanted to kill her, poor, simple thing that she was, but she had given them no choice in the matter. They had made it look like ritualistic suicide, of course. That had been Sera's idea. Now it was time to do what she had planned to do, and she was not looking forward to it.

She walked out into the room. Dean and Sam were packing up and Castiel was sitting on Dean's bed. She looked at him, and they nodded at each other. She lifted her head up at Sam. "Sam, honey, could you do me a favor?"

He stopped what he was doing and got a curious expression on his face. "I need some stuff from the store but I'm just…too shaken up to go…"

"Yeah, of course, whatever you need." She gave a weak smile, and then gave him a list. After he left she went to the fridge and got out the bottle of cheap wine she bought the day before. She blocked Dean's view of what she was doing as she took one of the knives from the table and two of the clear plastic cups from the stack by the sink. She sliced her hand over one of them, bleeding into it.

She clenched her fist and started humming, and the slice healed. She poured wine over it and then filled the other one, then picked them both up. She walked over to Dean with them and handed him the one that had her blood in it. He stopped packing and took it from her. She smiled and took a drink of her own, then he started drinking. He didn't stop.

After he polished it off he looked at her, "What brand is this? It tastes like…I don't know…all floral."

She took the cup from him. "Just something I got from the store down the street. It's hardly more than fruit juice, really." She put the cups inside of each other and then tossed them in the trash. Then she sighed and looked at Dean.

"I'm really, very sorry, Dean."

"For what?" He asked with a grin, and then it faded and he put his hand on his stomach. "For this."

He doubled over in pain and fell onto the bed, then slid off it onto the floor. "What's…happening?"

She crouched down and cradled him in her arms, stroking his hair. "It'll be alright, you just have to let it run its course."

"You don't know that, it could kill him," Castiel said. He was standing over them now. Dean looked up. "Cas? Where…?" but then he groaned in pain again.

"See? It's working, he can hear you."

Sera put her hand on his abdomen and started to sing, and he felt the pain slowly ease. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"I'm sorry Dean…I had to, you had to know."

He looked up and blinked, and slowly a blurry outline became Castiel. The angel bent down, "Dean?"

Dean's breathing became more even, and his eyes got wide and he scrambled up. Sera let him go and backed away. He and Castiel were just…staring at each other. She didn't know whether Dean wanted to punch him or kiss him and it looked like he didn't either. Suddenly, Dean reached forward and grabbed Cas, hugging him to him like he was a teddy bear. Sera smiled and felt like crying, letting out a breath. She watched as Cas slowly put his arms around Dean, hiding his face in Dean's shoulder. Sera slowly backed away, slipping out of the door and closing it behind her, because it felt like the thing to do. She'd keep Sam out as long as she could, those two had a lot to say.


	15. Chapter 15

Sera sat outside the door, leaning against it. Rain had started to pour since she had come outside. Sam pulled up a few feet from her into their parking space. He grabbed the two bags from the passenger seat and rushed out of the car to the awning; stopping when he saw Sera was sitting in front of the door. "Umm, hi Sera."

She smiled, "Hi Sam."

"Why are you sitting in front of the door."

"Needed some air, Dean needed some alone time." She drew out the word "alone," causing Sam to draw his own conclusions.

"So…what should we do?"

"We could sit here and talk about our feelings, or we could eat that ice cream you just bought, or think of something else to do. Either way you're not getting in."

He looked into the bags. "I don't have any spoons."

Sera produced two of them. Sam sat down beside her, taking a spoon from her hand and extracting the quart of chocolate ice cream from the bag. As he held it, Sera pulled off the lid, and they sat and ate ice cream as they watched the rain.

Dean and Cas sat at the table. Dean was still feeling a little uncomfortable with that unsolicited outpour of emotion he just had, and he was still having occasional stomach cramps. He rubbed his abdomen. "What did she give me?"

"Some of her blood. The benefits will be exponential but the consequences can be…discomforting."

"That's the understatement of the century." He took a drink of his beer. "What benefits?"

"You can see me…your vision might change more. I do not know how it will change you until you process it."

"Will it wear off?"

"If you gain any abilities, they will fade, but you have ingested pure innocence. Your perspective has changed forever."

"So I'm going to be able to see invisible angels now? Great."

"Also any other beings that try to hide themselves."

Dean's brows furrowed as he thought of something. "How long have you been hanging around?"

"The last three days."

"Well, that certainly explains Sera's weirdo behavior since we've been here. Why didn't she just tell me?"

"She didn't know how, or what she could do. This was the only option she saw."

"But why just me?"

"You really have to ask why Sera wouldn't give Sam blood that could potentially give him super-powers?"

After thinking about it, he realized Castiel was right. They heard laughter from just outside the door. "Sounds like Sam's here."

"He has grown quite attached to her, hasn't he?"

"More than I care to mention. You know, when she's not here, he says her name in his sleep?"

"He is aware that she is incapable of romantic attachment?"

"Not as much as I am."

Cas looked confused for a moment, "Oh, yes, because you came onto her and she shot you down."

"You really were watching everything while you were gone, weren't you?"

"Yes."

Dean thought about the full implications of that for a moment, then cleared his throat and took another drink. "You know, I gotta say, it's pretty weird seeing you without the trench coat."

"When I am fully restored to my former state, you can return it to me, if you will not begrudge me taking away your favorite pillow."

"Cas, can you just take that and file it under things we never talk about again?"

"Why?"

"It's one of those overly-personal details that is best not discussed between good friends."

"Are we good friends?"

"How can you even ask that? What do you think all that was a minute ago?"

"I just thought…after everything I did…you did not trust me any more. And you once said that trust was necessary…"

"Look, I may not agree with what you did, but I've had time to get over it. Plus with the dreams and the messages…I understand your motives better now than I did before."

"I am glad for that."

There was another tense silence.

Outside, Sera and Sam had nearly polished off the entire container of ice cream, although to be honest Sera had hogged most of it. Sam got up and trashed the empty container, and Sera put up her hands for him to help her up.

"Well, that was fun." She said, without a hint of sarcasm.

"All we did was sit here in silence and eat."

"I know."

He looked towards the door and tried to step forward, put she put her hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Not yet. We can't go in until Dean says so."

"Why not?"

"It's hard to explain, okay? Just know that you do not want to go in there."

Sam sighed and started taking weird random steps. "So, what should we do then?"

"I don't know." She followed him, stopping in a place where a hole in the gutters of the awning were making a concentrated amount of rain water pour down. She put her hand in it, letting the liquid flow over it, and then jerked it so water splashed into Sam's face. He sputtered and laughed, then walked over and did the same to her. She pushed him, making him stumble off the pavement into the parking lot. His hair got immediately soaked. She took a step forward and pulled his jacket off of him, tossing it onto the dry pavement under the awning.

They were smiling and laughing, kicking up the puddles that were forming on the asphalt. Sera didn't seem to mind at all that her dress was getting drenched.

Cas got up and went over to the window, moving the curtains aside. "Curious." He said, making Dean look up. "What?"

"Why are they splashing each other?"

Dean got up and Castiel moved so he could look through the gap. Dean smiled, "Wow, she is really good at distracting people, isn't she?"

"It is one of her more refined skills." Castiel stated flatly. Dean watched his brother and Seraphiel have a water fight, letting the curtain fall when Sam chased and caught her. It seemed like it should be a private moment.

He went back to his seat. Castiel moved to look out the window again. "Cas, no."

"Another human thing?"

"Yeah."

Sam grabbed Sera from behind by the waist and spun her. She screamed and kicked out of his grip, then turned to face him. They were both breathing heavy from all of the running. Sam smiled as he panted and reached forward to push the wet hair out of her face.

She smiled and moved into his hand, and that was it for him. He moved his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

For a few moments, it was absolutely perfect, but then she pushed him off of her, hard. He stumbled back a couple of feet. "Sam, no."

He looked hurt and confused, and honestly didn't know what to think. "We were having so much fun…why did you have to do that?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Sam, this can't happen. I'm sorry, but we can NOT happen."

His face fell, he turned on the puppy eyes. "Don't do that," she said putting her hand up to cover his eyes and looking away. "Don't make that face, it breaks my heart when you do that."

He walked up and pushed her hand down, taking it in his own. "Sera…"

"Don't."

"What is so wrong about this?"

"Maybe the fact that I'm an angel?"

"You said before that the Watchers…"

"Those were the Watchers, Sam. They were lower level guardian angels, with their own bodies and their only responsibility was guarding people. I'm the Guardian of God."

She looked at him, and he realized, even though it was raining, that she was crying. She hadn't let go of his hand yet.

"I'm sorry, Sam, I love you, like I love your brother, and Castiel, but the kind of feeling your looking for is not present in me. I have a very specific purpose, Sam, and being someone's lover is not one of them."

"It was just a kiss, Seraphiel."

"I think we both know that with you, there's no such thing." She sighed. "You boys…you always put your love in the worst possible places."

He let go of her hand and stepped away. Sera looked away, and he just couldn't deal. He turned and walked away. Sera called after him, but he just kept walking.

Dean jumped out of his chair as the door opened and Sera walked in, soaked to the bone and dripping water all over the floor. He saw her eyes and that she was crying. He looked at Cas and tilted his head toward her, trying to get him to take the hint that she needed a hug. Cas eventually got it, and stepped forward, his arms extended awkwardly. Sera fell into him, and he put his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest. After a few minutes of that, she sniffed and pulled away. "Dean, you need to go find your brother. He's out there walking in the rain, he might catch cold."

Dean just blinked, then went to the bathroom and took all of the motel towels. Sera tilted her head at him and forced a laugh. "What? I don't want him to get his wet ass on the leather."

Sera and Cas moved out of the way of the door and he left, taking a final look at Castiel. "Wait, Dean," Sera said, and he stepped back in. "You know you can't tell him about Cas, right? Or the blood thing?"

Dean nodded and she gave a weak smile, then he left. She looked at Castiel. "I screwed up bad, Cas."

"Can't be worse than what I did."

"Yeah, well, that's up for debate."


	16. Chapter 16

Dean drove down the road slowly, keeping an eye out. Finally, he caught sight of Sam. He pulled closer to the curb and drove alongside him. "Get in the car, Sam."

"Go to hell, Dean."

"Been there, done that, got the handprint. Come on, get in the car."

He stopped walking and Dean stopped the car. "Did Sera send you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters."

Dean paused, "Yes, she sent me. She was worried you'd get sick."

Sam scoffed and started walking again, Dean followed. "Sam, what happened?"

"She didn't tell you?" He stopped again. Dean shook his head.

"I kissed her."

"You what?"

"I kissed her, and she kissed me back…for a minute…and then she pushed me away and made a bunch of excuses about why it could never work."

"Is that what you're being such a little bitch about? Because Sera shot you down? Dude, she shot me down too but you don't see me walking down a street crying in the damn rain."

"What…you kissed her too?"

"No, didn't get that far…but she sent a pretty clear signal."

"Well at least she gave you that courtesy. All she did with me was…talk and compliment and feed me and start splash fights."

"It wasn't like she was leading you on, Sam, she's an angel. A caregiving, protective angel. That much was obvious from the first night we met her."

Sam huffed, "I just thought…" He looked away.

"You thought what? That she'd go mortal for you? Or she'd just forget her mission? You have some kind of ego, man."

Sam started walking again. "If you want to be mad, be mad, but do it back at the motel. All you're doing is making her worry, and me. You're probably going to get sick from this, and you know who's going to nurse you? Because it's not going to be me."

Sam stopped and looked at the car, walking over and getting in. There were towels doubled over the entire seat. He looked at them, then at Dean.

"What? Water ruins leather, why does no one get this?"

They walked back into the room. Sera was standing in front of Cas/Sam's bed, topless and in her Lara Croft shorts. She had one arm over her chest and was leaning down to pick up her tank top, which was next to Castiel. Cas seemed incredibly unfazed by all of this. His eyes were following her, but it seemed like it was just because that was the only place they could be.

She turned her face towards them, her wet hair hanging down in a curtain. "Hey," she said, smiling. She stood, tank in hand, and turned her back to them to slip it on. Sam was staring at her bare lower back until it was covered by the white fabric. Dean smacked him in the chest because he was just standing there with his mouth hanging open.

Sera grabbed the blue t-shirt that went over it and turned around as she pulled it on. She got her hair out from under it and looked incredibly relieved when she saw Sam. Suddenly Sam sneezed, so hard Dean felt the need to step away. Sera walked forward.

"Come on, let's get you out of those clothes." Sam looked confused as she grabbed his arm and lead him to the bathroom. Dean and Cas just looked at each other. Dean sighed and shook his head, crossing the room to his own bed to sit down and untie his boots.

She left the door open as she unbuttoned Sam's shirt and wrung it out over the sink. Dean called out, "I would prefer to not watch you strip my brother, Sera."

She looked over at him. "Then don't look." She came out and laid his shirt over a chair to dry out, then went to Sam's bag and got him some dry clothes, then went back and had the courtesy to at least half-close the door, so Dean didn't have to watch.

Sam looked down at Sera as she was unbuckling his belt. "You know, pushing me away when I kiss you and then stripping me down kind of sends mixed signals."

"I know how you must be feeling about this, Sam, but you have to realize that I'm keeping you at bay for your own good."

"Don't give me that crap, Sera."

She sighed, "Tell me Sam, you ever watch Star Trek?"

"Which one?"

"Next Generation."

"Yeah."

"Do you remember that episode where that ensign or whatever she was got obsessed with Data, and he decided to experiment with being in a relationship for a while, and though he really tried, at their core his actions were just mechanical, his heart wasn't in it. Eventually the girl gave up because she couldn't handle loving someone so completely and having them not be able to love her back. That's what being with me would be like." She pulled his belt out of the loops and set it on the counter.

"But you did say you loved me."

"Yes, in the way I love everyone. It's a pure, angelic, innocent love that only angels can feel. It's so overpowering all of the time but I keep that part of me alive because if I don't I can't do what I was created for."

She knelt down and started untying his shoes, lifting his leg so she could pull it off. She looked up at him and Sam had to swallow hard to control what it was he wanted to say. "Everything has a purpose Sam. You and your brother do, Castiel does, and I do. My purpose is to love you, but not in the way that you want."

She looked down and untied his other shoe and slipped it off. "You don't know how much I wish I could change that. If I could love a human…romantically…it would be you or someone like you, but I can't. You have to accept that," she said as she peeled off his socks and stuffed them in his shoes. She stood back up and took his wrist, pulling at the swollen knot of the bracelet she had made him.

Sam couldn't help but think that having a one-sided relationship with her would be better than none at all. It would be better than all of his others. There was a very slim chance Sera would die, she didn't have fangs, claws, or a demon possessing her, and she did have some feeling for him. As her fingers grazed over his wrist he felt his insides jump.

Sera set the bracelet down on the counter next to the belt, the charm making a clinking noise against the surface. She reached down and unbuttoned his jeans that were plastered to his skin and he started coughing.

She stopped what she was doing and felt his forehead, and then other parts of his skin. "You already have a temperature. Get into the shower, I'll go make you some tea."

She took his belt, shoes and socks and walked out. He watched her until she closed the door, then followed her instructions.

Sera turned on the built-in coffee maker to heat up some water for tea, and then opened the front door to grab the bag of things he got at the store, as well as his jacket, which they had left out there this whole time. She began to peel the plastic off the tea box when she realized Dean was standing in front of her.

"He gonna be okay?"

"He'll be better after a hot shower and some Echinacea, if he keeps warm through the night, he'll probably be fine in the morning."

"Can't you just…I don't know, lay hands on and heal him or something?"

"Dean, that only works for injuries and diseases…this is the common cold. He'll just have to suffer through it." She threw the plastic in the trash and opened the box, walking over to the coffee pot that was slowly filling up with hot water.

"You know he means well, right? I mean…with the whole…"

"Stop trying to be emotionally supportive Dean, you'll hurt yourself." She watched the glass pot as the water dripped into it. "I know what he means. He thinks of me too much as a person, a woman, just like you're hung up on the fact that Castiel's a guy. What no one seems to realize is that angels are genderless, like God. Well, most of them are. The Watchers were the last angels created before man so they have very defined gender…that's probably what caused all of the trouble."

Dean glanced over at Castiel, who appeared to not be paying attention to this particular conversation. "I wish I could change what I am, for his sake, because every time he looks at me I feel the sting of it, but I can't. All of the wishing in the world couldn't change it. I told him that, but I don't know if he understands what it means." She stopped as the coffee pot made a strange popping noise from being out of water, and she took one of the mugs and dropped a tea bag in it, pouring water over it and then returning the pot to its place.

She looked down at the liquid and watched as it changed color. Dean heard the water turning on in the shower. He leaned against the counter and looked toward the bathroom door. "Technically you could…right? Sleep with him?"

"I've slept with both of you, Dean."

"You know what I mean."

"Technically yes, I could, but it would be completely passionless. It would be all…cold and mechanical, he'd get more reaction out of a doll."

"Wow…never thought I'd hear a reference like that come from the mouth of an angel."

"Oh, Dean, I thought we'd gone over this? I'm not a normal angel."

She turned and leaned against the counter, also looking at the door. "What is it with you Winchesters and Angels? It's like you're just…wing magnets."

Dean couldn't help but chuckle at that, which made Sera laugh, and once they started they could stop, causing Castiel to look over at them with that expression he got when he didn't understand something, which just made them laugh that much harder.


	17. Chapter 17

Sam came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a fluffy motel towel. He felt better after the shower, and getting into some warm, dry clothes. That didn't mean he wasn't going to accept all of the love and care that Sera had to offer him. When she saw him she put a cup of tea into his hands that she had sweetened with honey. He drank it down like an obedient child.

Dean had, in this time, gone to bed. He was completely buried in the covers and Castiel was sitting in a chair next to the bed, watching him sleep. If Sam could see it, he'd probably think it was creepy. He would have remembered that comment Dean had made once about the vampires in those teen novels being "rapey." But he couldn't, and Seraphiel knew them both too well to think that this was at all strange.

After a few more cups of Echinacea and a trip to the bathroom, he stepped out to a mostly dark room, illuminated only by the parking lot lights and the neon sign that shown through the curtains. The outline of Sera was sitting on his bed with the covers pulled down. He took a deep breath and then walked to the other side, getting under them and letting her pull the covers over him. He tried to stay away from her, but she was strong, and ended up pulling him into her lap, stroking his hair and singing to him. He fell asleep that way.

Dean woke up first the next morning, since Castiel, of course, never slept. He got up, walking past the bed where Sam and Sera were spooning and holding tight onto each other's hands, and went over to the coffee maker. He poured the water out and then refilled it, finding some coffee in the cabinet above it and turning the machine on.

When he turned around, Castiel was standing directly behind him. He jumped and grabbed his heart, because he had forgotten for a moment that Cas was there, or had convinced himself the night before had been a dream. "Sorry," he said, and Dean relaxed. "It's fine, you just…startled me is all."

Cas turned his head to look at Sera and Sam, then back at Dean. "Do they end up like that often?"

"Most people do when they sleep in the same bed, Cas."

"Strange how sleeping makes people gravitate toward each other. If I had not watched the process through the night, I would be quite confused as to how it happened."

"Right, I forgot, you don't usually sleep."

Dean leaned against the counter and looked up. "He would be as happy as I am that you're back, Cas."

"I doubt that, and I am not back, not completely. I don't actually have a body. I am in this form because it is the last vessel I took."

"Still, you're here, in a manner of speaking. That's better than not having you at all."

"He should not be told, Dean, not until I can fully return. I was against Seraphiel's decision to inform you, but she is my superior."

"Speaking of that, she could have warned me before you know…giving me her blood."

"After what Sam went through, would you have drunk it?"

"Maybe." Castiel stared him down, "Okay, probably not, but it would have been nice to have had a choice in the matter."

Dean looked at his brother and the angel, "You know, for all of her protests, they look incredibly natural and right together, you know? Sort of like it's meant to happen for them."

"It is not."

"You don't know that."

"But Seraphiel does, and while she withholds a lot she never lies. If she says they cannot be, they will not."

There was a long pause. "There is a reason that God has prohibited human and angel relations, Dean."

"Yeah, I know, the Nephilim. The Giant and monsters that resulted, believe me, I've heard it."

"That is not the only reason. Heaven needs angels, Dean. The world needs them. If angels were given back the capacity to fall in love with humans, before long all of them would choose to be mortal."

"I don't believe that."

"Believe it, because it's the truth. You don't understand how beautiful humans are to most of us, Dean, you've only had dealings with me and the ones that would destroy you all."

"So, what, if you could love someone that way, you'd choose to become mortal for them?"

"I'd do it for you."

There was a long pause.

"What?"

"You told me about the time Zachariah sent you into a possible future, and rather than evacuate with the rest of them I chose to stay with you and become mortal. I knew then, after you told me that I had done it I knew that if given a choice between abandoning you and giving up my wings, I would gladly have them clipped."

"Cas, you were also doing a ton of drugs and having orgies in that future."

"Maybe so, but I was still following you, was I not?"

"I…I guess."

"Then my point has been proven."

Movement came from the occupied bed, Sam stretched and rolled over, and pulling Sera with him so now his back was to her chest instead of the other way around. No matter what anyone said, Dean thought they looked like a couple.

Castiel turned and looked at them, as well, his head cocked to the side like a curious child. "I believe Sam would be the one to make Sera fall."

Dean smiled, "Hey, you just called her Sera. I think that's the first time I've heard you use her pet name."

"You all use it so often, I assume it was inevitable."

"It's good to have you here, Cas, physically or not."

"Thank you, Dean."

This time it was Dean who was the thoughtful one. Sure, he just went and got breakfast sandwiches from the diner down the street and some coffee instead of making them breakfast like Sera would have, but it was still nice.

Sam woke up when he closed the door, rather loudly, and as soon as he let go of her hand Sera's eyes opened. She sat up and looked at the paper take out bags on the table and cups of coffee and smiled. "Morning," She said sleepily to Sam, who was standing by the bed smoothing out his clothes.

"Morning," He said, rather tersely, stepping away from the bed. Sera's smile disappeared, and she got out of bed, pulling on her clothes. She walked over to the table and next to Dean and put her hand on his back. "Are you feeling alright?"

Dean nodded, Sam hadn't heard what she said because she had whispered but seeing them standing so close together made him look away. He had no right or cause to be jealous, but try telling his body that.

"Any more stomach cramps? Nausea? Headaches? Visions?"

"No, actually. So far I think it's just been Seeing Cas…and maybe a couple other Guardian angels, following people around, otherwise they have some pretty creepy stalkers."

Sera smiled, "Good, maybe I only gave you enough to open your eyes."

"I hope so."

"What, you don't want to be super-human?"

"Regular human's good enough for me, thanks."

She took one of the bags and opened them, taking out one of the sandwiches and unwrapping it halfway, taking a bite. "Mmm, these are good. A lot of these places end up making these bacon sandwiches too greasy but whoever made this is an artist."

Dean chuckled and then got one out for himself and one for Sam. He tossed the sandwich at his brother, who caught it and unwrapped it. It was, of course, mostly veggies, but Dean had made them put a few slices of bacon on it. Sam bit into it and then walked over and sat down at the table, turning the coffee cups around to see which one was his.

Castiel was leaning on the counter next to the fridge, his arms crossed. Sera and Dean both had a hard time pretending he wasn't there. Sera thought to herself that if she had been in his position, she'd be standing behind Sam pulling faces and stuff, but Cas just wasn't the type. He was the kind to just sit in the corner and watch them all without saying anything twenty-four hours a day.

Sera took her eyes off of him to look at Dean. "While you were driving around, did you happen to notice any clothing stores? I can't keep going around in that dress and this stupid costume, I look ridiculous. I need some real clothes."

"Yeah, I think I saw some places." He said, with a mouth full of food. Sera smiled. "Good," She looked between the brothers. "Which one of you wants to come shopping with me? I need someone to tell me what looks good."

"Not it," said Dean instantly, causing Sam to sigh. "Fine, I'll go."

"If it would be so terrible you don't have to, Sam."

"No, no, it's fine. It'd be nice to do something outside of a motel or the car."

Sera gave a sly smile to Dean, who couldn't help but give one back. They'd be gone for hours, which meant him and Cas would be alone. Because of everything else that had been going on they hadn't really gotten around to anything important, besides the hugging and the almost-crying.

When they were done eating Sera cleaned everything up and took the keys from Dean's pocket. It never ceased to amaze him how few boundaries angels had. She and Sam left, although Sam didn't seem to be too happy that she was going to be driving, and when the door closed Dean looked at Cas. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh, not sure what they should do.

Finally he went over to his bag and pulled out a deck of cards. He turned and showed them to Cas. "Up for a game?"

Castiel shrugged and sat at the table, and then Dean grabbed a pad. Since it would be pointless to play poker without money, he sat and started explaining the rules of Rummy.


	18. Chapter 18

Sera and Sam were on opposite sides of a rack of clothes, thumbing through them. It was a thrift store, but for designer clothes, so everything had only been worn once and was in great condition. Sam was keeping an eye out for everything in green or black, since that seemed to be what she preferred. She stopped and took something off it, putting it up to her body to see how it would look.

Sam stopped and looked at her. "Why do you wear so much green? I mean…it's a nice color and everything but I don't get your obsession."

Sera smiled and put the dress back on the rack. "I wear so much of it because it's my color."

"You keep saying stuff like that, what does that mean?"

She sighed, "Alright, I'm about to impart some trade secrets to you, so you have to promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to say."

They reached the end of the rack and their hands sort of just landed on top of each other, and they were standing less than six inches apart. "Well, you know that before God created anything solid he created the Leviathans and then us, the angels, right? First Michael, then Metatron, then me, and then countless others. He created the first of us to wrangle the Leviathans and get them into Purgatory, but after we didn't have anyone to fight, I think he realized just how…boring we were. I mean pretty much all we did before he decided to make the Universe was sing his praises and worship him."

She started walking over to the next rack and Sam followed her. "Then he began to make this plane, the physical Universe. To us it seemed to go by in moments, but by your perspective it took billions of years. And he came to us, us higher ranking angels, and he asked us to make something to contribute to it. I made green, and peridot, those are the things that I made, that I'm drawn to. That and music is what I gave."

"You gave us music?"

"Well, I taught the wordless praises of Heaven to early man. That was really the only push it took. The capacity for it was there, you just needed the training wheels I provided."

She found a shirt and took it off the rack, held it up, then laid it over her arm to try on later as she continued to browse. "Humans…you were given such a capacity for creativity. You've barely begun to refine it." She found some jeans, and then stopped and smiled when she found a leather military jacket.

They found some other items and then she went to try them on. She ended up with three regular outfits she could change around, depending on what they were doing. Sam about died when she pulled the curtain aside and posed in a goth outfit, with a black corset top decorated with green ribbons and a layered but incredibly short skirt. She went over to the pile of clothing and picked some stuff up, then walked over to him and shoved it to his chest. "Your turn."

He shook his head, "No…I really don't need any clothes."

"Sam, you can't just keep wearing the same three or four shirts over and over again. I went through a lot of trouble to find stuff in your size in the men's section so you better at least try them on."

He laughed, "Or what?"

"Or I'll make you…or cry, whichever I think will work better, now go." She got behind him and pushed him into the dressing cubicle, pulling the curtain closed.

Castiel was incredibly good at card games, considering he claimed he had never tried playing. He was way ahead of Dean in points. "Are you sure you've never played this before?"

"Positive. Why?"

"Because you're kicking my ass."

Castiel tried very hard not to look overly pleased as he took his next turn. "Is this what normal friends do?"

"Yeah, I guess. Male friends, at least. Card games and beer is pretty average."

"Why do you feel the need to make a gender distinction?"

"Well, because female friends act more like a couple. They eat ice cream, watch sad movies and talk about their feelings. Guys generally don't."

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Why don't males like to talk about their feelings?"

"They just…don't okay? We're just not wired that way."

"Is that why Sera says you can't say you love me?"

Dean looked up and nearly dropped his cards. That had caught him completely off guard. "She actually said that to you?"

"Yes. Was it wrong for me to bring up?"

"It's…certainly unusual."

He grabbed his beer and took a drink. "You're uncomfortable now," Castiel said. "I apologize. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's fine, really. Honestly, I've kind of missed your awkwardness. I haven't had much to really laugh about lately."

"Yes, I know. Losing Bobby and fighting the Leviathans…I am sorry I was not here to help you."

"Yeah, I know you are. Now shut up and let's just finish this game, okay? I'm finally getting decent cards."

They were at the cash register, and were wearing some of their new clothes, with the tags still attached. Sam watched as Sera talked to the cashier, keeping her distracted as she swiped a library card and then touched the scanner, doing some sort of angel mojo making it think she had swiped a credit card.

The attendant took the plastic security tabs off the items they were wearing, and when they got out to the car they spent the next ten minutes taking the clothes out of their bags and cutting the tags off. "I don't remember the last time I actually went clothes shopping."

"Yeah, that much was obvious."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe the fact that you wear so much plaid you looked like a lumberjack?"

"Hey, I happen to like plaid."

"Well Sam there's plaid and then there's _plaid_. You seem to like wearing it way too much."

"What about you? I mean everything is either green or black."

"Yeah, but I mix it up with accessories and all of my clothes are in different styles. I try for variety, at least."

Sam sighed and cut the tag off of a pair of jeans she picked out for him, he looked at them and just had to laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just…no one has picked out clothes for me since Jess, I just thought it was funny that it was you."

She smiled and cut the tags off her dress. "What do you think Dean's going to say when he sees all of this?"

"Probably that we're being ridiculously excessive and that we won't have room for all of this in the trunk."

"Eh, we'll make it work, and once he sees what I got him I think he'll get over it."

"Why, what'd you get him?"

"It's going to be a surprise. Don't get your feelings hurt if he doesn't tell you, though."

"That makes it sound like something embarrassing."

"Could be."

They finished cutting off their tags then shoved the clothes into the bags and tossed them in the back seat. Sera buckled in and started up the car, and when the radio cut on "…Baby one more time" was playing, which made Sera bust out laughing. Sam moved to change it but she said, "No, keep it on!"

She started singing along with it as she pulled out of the parking lot. Sam was watching her, she was obviously singing it as a joke, and she had a huge smile on her face. When the song ended he said, "Please get it off of here before something worse comes on."

"What, you don't like Britney Spears?"

"Not particularly."

She just laughed and switched it to the CD player. "Such close-minded people I choose to hang around."


	19. Chapter 19

Three weeks and two jobs went by, all of it rather unremarkable. The only notable occurrences were when Sera gave Dean the present she bought him (a four pack of silk boxers), and he immediately rushed to the bathroom to try them on, and the multiple laughs Sera and Dean got out of trying to act like Castiel wasn't there.

One night, after Sam and Dean had both passed out from sheer exhaustion, Sera was still wired and awake. She sat in a chair with her feet up on the table, slowly killing a pint of blueberry cheesecake ice cream. Castiel was watching over Dean, as usual, and when he turned over Castiel picked up the blanket and covered him with it. He took a few steps over to Seraphiel, pulling up a chair. "Are you ever going to tell them?"

"What?"

"Don't play stupid. You know exactly what I mean."

Sera sighed. "They cannot know until it's time, Castiel, you know that almost as well as I do."

Castiel looked at her, "But you want to tell them."

"Of course I do, of course I want to warn them, to change it, but I can't. Things must happen how they are meant to happen, I am forbidden to use my knowledge to interfere. Even if I tried to say anything about it I wouldn't be able to get the words out."

She scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and stuck it in her mouth. She slowly licked the bowl of the spoon to get all of it off. "Besides, would you want to know how you're going to die?"

"I suppose not, but they would."

"No, they would only think they would, and once they found out they'd try to change it, and then end up making it happen that much faster."

She ate a couple more spoonfuls, "They need you back, Cas, in full capacity. What am I saying? We need you."

"You include yourself among them, now?"

"Might as well. Sam and I are practically married."

Castiel looked confused. "The two of you are not in a relationship."

"You of all people should know better than to think that has any bearing on anything. Think about it. We do everything together, whenever we walk near each other we always end up holding hands. We get each other gifts and support and an incredible amount of love, but we don't have sex. That's human marriage if I've ever heard it described."

This gave Castiel a great amount to consider, then he noticed something she said. "Why should I know better than anyone else about something like that?"

Sera scoffed, "Please, Cas, this is me you're talking to. I've watched the two of you together, longer than either of you even knows. The way you look at each other, and how much each of you thinks about the other…you pull together like a magnet and a nail. Think about how much you have changed each other. You rebelled against Heaven for him, Cas. That says a lot."

She ate some more. "Plus, there's that whole thing where both of you use any excuse to say the name of the other. Whenever he's talking to you or about you he uses your name twice as much as he uses anyone else's. You do it, too. It's like you can't get enough of it. I honestly believe that if you had a female vessel the two of you would have had sex by now, but Dean's all hung up on that gender thing which makes him terribly confused about his feelings for you…"

She looked up, "You know I don't know why this even needs explaining. I'd sum it up with the simple fact that though the two of you are not boyfriends, you are practically husbands."

She glanced over as she sensed movement, but it was just Sam turning over. Just to be cautious, she lowered her voice. "We're tied to them, Castiel, just accept that."

"I accepted that a long time ago, Sister, but I broke a promise to them. I do not know if I can mend a wound like that."

"Has Dean brought it up in all this time?"

"No, mostly we just play cards and he tries to get me to tell him where I've been all this time."

"And what do you tell him?"

"That I cannot say, or that I don't remember, both of which are true. I remember speaking to Our Father, but I do not know where I was or what was said. I do remember some of the things I was told, though. The important things."

"Well, that's good. At least you learned what you were kept there for."

"The only thing I remember clearly is watching them, and being stuck far away wishing I could help. It was almost like a personal hell, but Dean hasn't asked about that."

She looked over at the sleeping boys. "They're so cute, aren't they? It's like watching puppies sleep in a box."

"How long have you been here, Seraphiel, on Earth, protecting God?"

She looked back at him and ate another spoonful. "Longer than I would care to admit, and with so many vessels, one right after another so that no one notices that I don't age. God's been hiding here for such a long time, I had almost forgotten what Heaven was like."

"I suppose that's why he sent you there first, instead of just bringing you back."

"Maybe."

"Speaking of, why so fond of Wonderland?"

"Maybe because everything there sings, not songs of praise but just everyday words, like it's a regular conversation. Plus there's just this beautiful innocence about Alice's heaven that is so hard to find anymore. Children who are murdered so rarely die with such innocence in tact."

She tilted the container, trying to scoop out the last melted bit at the bottom before tossing it towards the trash can. "I'll find a way to bring you back, Cas."

"I know you will, Sera."

She smiled, but when Dean started to make his nightmare noises, she knew there would be no more casual conversation. Cas got up and went over to the bed, crouching down next to it. He ran his hand over Dean's face, and it instantly relaxed.

"What was it this time? Hell? Leviathans? The day you died?"

"No, it was the house fire."

"He hasn't had that one in a long time, what brought it on?"

"Maybe burning those bones tonight, and seeing Sam's jacket on fire."

"He's always so scared of losing him."

"I pray that his fears do not come to pass."

There was silence as Sera looked away, because she knew he was trying to get something out of her, some little detail that he could tell Dean without her forcing past her bonds, but she wasn't going to let those big blue eyes work on her. She got up and went over to the sink, washing the spoons and the stickiness from her face, then slowly, quietly made her way over to the bed she shared with Sam, slipping into it. Sam immediately turned over, putting his arm around her waist and laying his head on her heart. She stroked his hair until she fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

When Sam woke up he was quite disconcerted, as Sera was not lying beside him. He sat up and looked around, there was not a sign of her anywhere. He got out of bed, looked in the bathroom, looked outside. The car was still there, and her bag was still at the foot of their bed. Castiel watched with interest as he searched for signs of where she might have gone, picking up his cell phone and calling her number. Her phone was on the nightstand, so that was a dead end. He walked over and shook Dean awake.

"What?" Dean snapped, very mad at being woken up in such a manner.

"Do you know where Sera went?"

Dean groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked at Castiel, who was still sitting next to his bed. "She went off to search for some books; she said she had some research to do."

Dean looked up at his brother. "Yeah, I think she told me something earlier but I was too groggy, said something about picking up some books."

Sam ran his hand through his hair. What if she was in trouble? What if she needed help? What if she never came back? He looked around and found his shirt and pulled it on, grabbing the keys off the table and heading for the door.

"Dude, where are you going?"

"To find her."

"She's an angel, man, she's not going to be looking for something she doesn't already know at the Barnes & Noble, she's probably in like, Israel or something, possibly not even in this time period, alright? So just…chill…she'll be back."

Sam stopped trying to leave, but he started pacing. He didn't want to pack up the car until she got back, so she could find them. Dean just did what he did normally did, got up and got a beer and tried to see if there were any Dr. Sexy reruns on their free channels.

After about a few hours of tense silence and Sam's constant pacing, there was a shift in the air and Sera appeared, with a backpack she didn't have before and an armful of books. "Hey guys." After her arms were free Sam rushed forward like he was going to hug her and then stopped. "Ever heard of leaving a note?"

"I told…" she stopped before she said "Castiel," "Dean where I was going."

"Telling my half-asleep brother a message he won't remember doesn't count." He looked down at the books. "What is all of this anyway?"

"They're books about certain kinds of summoning magic. I'm trying to find something that will bring Castiel back."

She slung her backpack off her shoulder then opened it, revealing quite a few metal tubes. She took them out one by one and set them on the table. "I didn't have time to sit and read, didn't want to get caught, so I brought them back here."

Sam recognized the packaging, inside the tubes were scrolls, probably locked away in a museum vault. "I'd ask you to help but most of them are in completely dead languages and you wouldn't understand any of it."

She started to sit down and then stopped. "Have you two eaten?"

"Uh…well…no." Sam said, a little guiltily.

She pulled a wad of cash out of a pocket of her backpack and pulled off a few twenties. "Go get us something, I'm going to be busy for a while and it won't be good if I'm distracted by growling stomachs."

Sam opened his mouth like he was going to protest, then just settled on saying, "Fine, I'll go." And storming out of the room, slamming the door. She looked at Dean and Cas, who were sitting next to each other on the end of Dean's bed, watching the screen.

"Was he terribly worried?"

"I think if he wasn't in front of me, he would have cried."

"I didn't notice. Dean has been showing me his favorite TV show."

"Aww, Dr. Sexy's on…and I've got all of this research to do? Why does timing always have to suck in my life?" She sat down a little angrily at the table, then grabbed a book and cracked it open. The leather spine made a creaking noise, and she had to be careful with the pages so they wouldn't fall apart.

"Why don't you already know something that could work?"

"Because stuff like this is not my department. I'll know which one is the right one when I see it, though."

Dean sighed and went back to watching the screen. "Why does she keep slapping him?" Castiel asked.

"Because she loves him."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Medical dramas usually don't, Cas."

When Sam came back with the food, Sera was already halfway through the first book. She was reading it with incredible ease since she understood the language perfectly. She looked up and smiled at Sam as he walked in, and incredibly his scowl just melted. "How's it going?"

"So far a lot of nothing useful. What'd you get?"

He walked over to the counter and set the bags of food down, taking out the food items as he mentioned them. "For Dean, I got a heart attack on toast, for me, a veggie sandwich and a parfait with yogurt and granola, and for you," He walked over with a to-go plate, "An egg-white omelette with tomatoes and mushrooms, hashbrowns and turkey bacon." He set it down right next to her and she smiled, leaning up a bit to give him a quick kiss on the lips while he was standing over her. "You treat me way too well, Sam. You're spoiling me." Then she sat back down and popped the Styrofoam container open, smiling as she picked up the plastic fork inside and took a bite.

Sam was still where he had been, a little starstruck that she had kissed him unprovoked like that. Suddenly Dean called out, "Hey, where's mine?" And it broke him. He got up and got the sandwich that was about 80% fat, cholesterol, and cheese and tossed the paper package to Dean, then took his own food and sat down next to Sera, just in case there was anything he could do to help.

"Why does he do that?" Castiel asked.

Dean turned to him and lowered his voice, "What?"

"Just…sit there, even though there's nothing he can do."

"I guess because he wants to be there in case there is?"

"That is most unusual."

"Who are you talking to?" He heard Sam ask from the other side of the room.

"What?" Dean said, like Sam was the crazy one. "I didn't say anything."

Sera just smiled and kept from laughing by taking another bite of her eggs.


	21. Chapter 21

Sam was looking through one of the books. Even though he didn't understand any of it, he felt like he was helping, which was better than just sitting there.

"I think I…no never mind," Sera said.

"What?"

"I thought I found something, but it's dark magic…virgin blood and baby tallow and stuff like that. Not anything we'd do."

"Oh, too bad."

There was quite a bit of silence, the only sound coming from the TV and Sera turning the pages. "Why is it so damn hard to resurrect an angel?"

"If I had not made a promise to Jimmy, I would take Claire." Castiel said. "That would solve everything."

Dean said under his breath, "Yeah, except the looks we'd get driving around with an underage girl."

"What?" said Sam.

"What? Why do you keep asking me that when I haven't said anything?"

"You definitely said something that time."

"I didn't hear anything," Sera lied.

"Why would anyone look at you strange? Couldn't you just say she's your sister or daughter or something? I'd corroborate."

Dean just looked at him like "Stop asking me questions like that in front of Sam, moron."

"Now what are you looking at?"

"The wallpaper, it's lovely." He said sarcastically.

Sera snorted and started laughing, they all looked at her. "Sorry, I uh…" She couldn't think of an excuse. "I just thought of something funny…"

"What?"

"Uh…I forgot." She stifled her laughter and dropped her head, pretending to be entirely engrossed in her reading. Sam looked between them.

"What's going on here?"

"What are you talking about Sam?" Dean asked innocently.

"Perhaps about the fact that you are constantly talking to and looking at someone he can't see." Castiel supplied.

"There's something going on, and both of you are in on it. I don't like it."

"Sam, don't be ridiculous." Sera said.

"He's not being ridiculous, Seraphiel."

She glanced over and glared, seemingly at Dean.

Sam pointed at her, "See, just there, what's that about?"

She looked back at him, "Nothing, why are you so suspicious all of the sudden?"

"Maybe because you're both acting weird."

Sera sighed. "Fine, Sam, you caught me, I'm hiding something from you."

Sam's eyes got wide, Dean and Castiel were both wondering what the hell she was doing. "Well ,actually I'm hiding a lot of things, but the thing I'm talking about is…"

Sam leaned forward, and Dean was sitting expectantly, wondering if she was actually going to tell him or was just putting him on.

"You're completely crazy." She said, laughing, and Sam fell back, all disappointed. "I really had you going, didn't I?" She laughed for about another minute and then went back to reading. "Hey, I think I actually found something this time." She grabbed a nearby note pad. She read and then reread, and then started scribbling. "Well, looks like I'm going to have to stealing again."

Dean got up and walked over, "What'd you find?"

"A summoning spell, but instead of just bringing the angel, it gives it a physical form. Since we have something with Castiel's imprint it shouldn't be too hard to resurrect him the way he was, all we need to find is the right ingredients."

Dean looked at the pad, "Sera your blood is on this list."

"Yeah, a lot of it, actually."

"How much, exactly?" Sam asked, worried.

"A lot. You guys are probably going to have to hold me up over the basin while I bleed into it…I might lose consciousness."

"But…" Sam started.

"Do you know any other angel with enough juice who would be willing to do this?"

"No, but…"

"Sam, I get it, you're worried, but I'll be fine, and we have to do this."

"Why?"

"Because you need Castiel."

"I need you!"

Sera just blinked at him, and Dean got uncomfortable and had to look away. Sera leaned forward and put her hand over Sam's. "You have to trust me, when I say I'll be fine, Sam. Because I will, I promise. I might get a little sick but I need you to support me in this, because I need the both of you to help me, I can't do this alone."

He turned his hand over to take hers, "But what if you're not?"

"Do you think a little thing like exsanguination is going to stop me? Are you forgetting who I am?"

"You've died before."

"But I won't." She pulled her hand away and picked up the notepad. "I need to go get this stuff, you guys pack up the car and we'll meet where Castiel died."

"Wait…the water system or Crowley's prison?"

"The water system, Castiel was still in his vessel until the Leviathans were let loose."

She got up and looked between them, picking up her jacket and putting it on. "I don't know how long it will take, but I'll call you, okay?" She went and grabbed her phone, sticking it in her pocket, then she dropped the notepad in her now empty backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. Sam was just watching her, the fear and worry evident on his face. She stood like she was going to vanish and then noticed Sam's face.

Sera walked over to him, running her fingers down the side of his face and turning it toward her. She leaned down and kissed him. Not her usual quick, affectionate courtesy, but a proper kiss, open-mouthed and everything. When she finally pulled away Sam was reluctant to let her go. "I'll be fine, I promise."

She took a few steps away. "See you soon," she said, looking at Dean and Cas, and then she disappeared.

Castiel looked at Sam, at the look on his face, the way he was breathing. "He should not take that too seriously," Castiel said, "She did what she thought she had to to convince him."

Dean turned and whispered, "Try telling him that."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Again, nothing, are you hallucinating again?" Dean went back over to his bed and sat down, picking up the remote and flipping through the channels.


	22. Chapter 22

Sam and Dean were standing outside the burned shell of what had once been Bobby's house. They had inherited the property, but they couldn't bear to tear it down and because of when it had been built there weren't any blueprints to rebuild from, so they just left it. All of the cars were still there, no one had come with offers to buy up the scraps. Dean thought it didn't seem right that everything except the house looked exactly the same. It seemed like the entire world should have burned.

Suddenly, breaking their rather depressive concentration, Sam's phone went off, with the ringtone he used for Sera. "Yeah?"

Dean could hear the muffled voice, and then Sam said, "Okay," and hung up. Sam turned to look at him. "It's time."

They went back to the car, where Castiel was sitting in the back seat. They started it up and made their way to the reservoir.

By the time they got there, Sera had already set things up. They lifted the latch on the gate, opening it, Dean not believing that no one had replaced the chain in all of this time. She was kneeling on the ground before a large beaten silver basin, opening up pouches and little plastic bags full of herbs and dumping them in. She turned when she heard them approaching.

"Hello boys," She said with a smile. They approached; Dean's bag slung over his should with the things she had said to bring. He set it down next to her and she unzipped it, taking out a flask of holy water and pouring it over the herbs. Then, she picked up a clay container that seemed to be very old and sealed with wax, then broke it open and poured the oily contents into the basin. She took the trench coat out of the bag and handed it to Dean, then picked up the basin so he could spread it out underneath like an altar cloth. Sera set up white anointed candles around the basin and lit them, then picked up her angel blade and stood, kicking the bag out of the way.

"Stay on either side of me, alright? This isn't going to be pretty." The brothers followed her instructions, standing on either side of her, to catch her if she should need them. She took a deep breath, and then began.

Sam didn't understand a word of it. For all he knew she was calling up Lucifer, but it sounded beautiful coming from her lips because she was singing it, cutting the air, making symbols in it with the angel blade. Suddenly she stopped, looking at Sam as she held her arm out over the basin, stabbing the blade's point into her wrist and dragging it longways, following the artery. She pulled it out and watched the blood drip, then looked at Dean. "You'll have to do the other one, I can't hold the blade."

"No," said Sam, and Sera looked at him like "Are you kidding me?" Then she saw the look in his eyes, and he took the blade. Sam stood behind her and held her uninjured arm up over the basin like he was about to lead her in a dance, and then took the blade and cut into her flesh. He held her arms out until she began to get woozy and fall, and then he enlisted Dean's assistance. They held her arms out over the basin, letting the blood drip down continuously until the basin was nearly full, and then Dean let her go and Sam took her in his arms, grabbing gauze from the duffle bag and singing to her as he wrapped it around her wrists. She had told Dean what to do next. He took his lighter and put it close to the blood, and it caught fire.

Storm clouds gathered from nowhere, and he looked around for Castiel, wondering where he had gone. It was so dark now, the candles they had lit gave off more light than the sky. There was thunder, and then lightning began to strike the water.

Sam was busy freaking out over the fact that Sera wasn't waking up, but Dean was watching the water. Suddenly a figure burst from it, as if he had been there the whole time and had just come up for air. Dean, abandoning all thought of his own safety, pulled off his over shirt and ran out into the water. When it got too deep, he swam out, and grabbed Castiel, dragging him to the shore.

Sam looked up to see Dean and Cas on the grass, Castiel was on his back, trying to breathe, and Dean was on his knees beside him. Sam looked at the basin and the fire died down, and then the sky cleared. When it was bright enough Sam could see that Cas was naked, and Dean got up and started blowing out the candles and moving everything off the trench coat to get it.

After Castiel was sitting up, covered by the trench coat, and Dean was sure that he was fine, Sam spoke up. "Dean," He said, sounding desperate. His brother turned to face him. "She's not breathing. I've been singing this whole time but she's not healing"

He looked at Castiel. "Can you fix her?"

"I'm sorry, no. She is my superior; I do not have the strength."

Sam was rocking her, looking like he was going to cry, "There has to be something!"

"If she could touch a human soul, it might be enough."

"But she's not waking up."

Dean looked at his brother, and knew he had to do something. "Try giving her mouth-to-mouth, and putting her arms above her head, that will slow the blood loss and get her breathing again, she might be able to wake up enough to do it."

Sam laid her on her back and Dean helped him position her arms, then Sam began breathing into her. After he had almost given up, he felt her take a breath, and let out one of his own. Her eyes fluttered open, but it was a struggle. "Sam?" she hoarsely whispered.

"I'm here Sera." He sat her up and picked up the hand that was closest to him, putting it just below his sternum. "You need energy, Sera."

She looked up out of the top of her eyes and caught his drift. God, she looked so pale. "I…can't hurt you."

"It will hurt me worse if you die, come on, Sera, just do it."

She saw he wasn't going to let it go, so she swallowed hard, "I'm sorry," she said weakly before reaching into him, into his soul. He nearly broke his teeth from gritting them, trying not to scream to let her know she was hurting him so terribly, but finally he just let it go. His cry echoed off the forest and Dean wanted to stop it, but Castiel had grabbed his arm and was holding him back. He watched as the bright, pure light flowed from his brother into the angel, until color was back in her face and blood stopped dripping from her soaked bandages. Then, she pulled away.

Sam collapsed, and Sera tore the bandages off her wrists. There were thin red lines where the terrible gashes had been. She looked up at Castiel. "Welcome back, brother," she said breathily, before passing out herself, landing right next to Sam with her hand outstretched so that it landed over his. Castiel let Dean go, now that there was nothing for him to stop. The man looked up at the angel, then got up and rushed over to his brother, "Is he going to be alright?"

"They'll both be fine, Dean. Maybe not immediately, but ultimately."

Dean grabbed his brother's arm and put it over his own shoulders, lifting him from the ground. "Can you get her? We should get them back to the motel."

Cas looked at the basin full of blood with charred bits floating in it. "Shouldn't we clean this up?"

"We'll worry about that later, come on."

Cas nodded and leaned down, picking Sera up and following Dean, carrying his sister to the car.


End file.
